Crashing In or Out of Love
by The Light Inside The Darkness
Summary: (Slightly AU) The first time Jane and Maura meet, Maura runs Jane over with her car. Will they be able to work through this and become friends? Or better yet, will they be able to work together at all? Eventual Rizzles! Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with yet another story. Looks like my creativeness has been gracing me with its presence. No, I'm just kidding. I'm happy to be able to have ideas to write down and share with you all. I want everyone who is reading 'She's the Man – Or Not' to not worry. The story will be uploaded normally and will be finished! So, let me explain some things about this story:**

**It's AU, but not completely. Jane is still a Detective and Maura is still a Medical Examiner. But I've just changed the way they met and how that will change their relationship. **

**Something else you need to know is that there is no Hoyt, he never happened. I just don't like writing the guy or the aftermath. And there is no Ian as well. Maura has some baggage that will all be explained in the story itself, so if anything is unclear about why Maura is acting or saying certain things, please keep in mind that it will all be explained. Frank and Angela have already gotten a divorce and Tommy won't be in the beginning of the story (That will also be explained later on).**

**Oh and one other thing, I will not be writing about any cases, this is about Jane and Maura and their relationship. There will be certain aspects of cases that show up, but that will only be in the beginning of the story. I wanted to devote my complete attention to Jane and Maura and not make a half assed attempt at writing a case. I'm bad enough at it as it is.**

**If there is anything that makes you confused or just something you want to know, don't hesitate to ask! I will answer your questions!**

**This story was a prompt from someone here on FF. I don't know their name, but all I know is that they used to have a 'story' here called: "Headcanon Series" This person uploaded ideas for stories on here, but recently took it off the site. I hope that this person will see this story and will like the spin I put on it. Please, if this story is one of your ideas, let me know! I would like to thank you personally!**

**All mistakes are mine and even though I always re-read my chapters before I post them, I'm still human. I sincerely hope you guys are going to like this story. It's the first time I've written anything serious with grown Jane and Maura. Teenage Rizzles seems a lot easier though haha. But, enough of my ramblings, let's get on with the story!**

* * *

Her feet hit the pavement loudly as she rushed through the crowd. Her breath came in short gasps, trying to fill her lungs. She cursed, pushing people out of the way.

"Out of the damn way! Police!" Her yells were heard and people quickly moved out of their way, straining their necks to see what was going on.

Jane could clearly see the figure in front of her and she would be damned if she was going to let him get away. The damn guy had jumped her back at his place, pushing her to the ground before running off. She vaguely remembered shouting at Korsak to call for back-up before she took off running after their suspect. She wished she had asked Frost to come along, he was better at this.

She sighed loudly as she pushed through another crowd. "Get the fuck out of my way!" She was getting more and more frustrated with this guy. _Stop already._

Turning a sharp corner, she saw his red jacket cross the street. Pushing through a young couple, she sprinted across the street. Focusing too much on the suspect, Jane failed to see the car coming her way. When she heard the screeching of tires, she turned her head just in time to see a car headed her way. Her eyes widened when she realized she didn't have enough time to get out of the way. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the impact.

Yells were heard all around her as she was launched on the hood of the car. She was propelled to the ground as the car came to a sudden stop, her body coming down with a loud thud and a crack.

Jane lay motionless for a while, her adrenaline quickly running out. She heard voices, footsteps, cars, but she couldn't open her eyes to see what was going on. She groaned softly, willing her body to move. It wouldn't listen.

"She's alive! Where is that ambulance?!"

"It's on its way. What should we do?"

Slowly, Jane cracked open her eyes. She saw several shoes around her, not having the energy to lift her head up. _Fuck it hurts._ Again, she groaned.

"Hey, can you hear me?" That same voice. It was a man that was certain. Opening her eyes fully, she lifted her head slightly.

"No, don't move. The ambulance is on its way, just stay still." Even if she had wanted to lift her head any further, the sudden pain in her head and neck caused her to drop it back on the ground, closing her eyes as she tried to will the pain to go away.

She wanted to ask what happened. Wanted to ask why everything hurt so much, but she couldn't find her voice. Instead she stayed still, tried to focus on her breathing until she heard the familiar sirens of the ambulance. Before long, she was hoisted into it.

"Excuse me ma'am, but unless you're family you can't come with us." Jane heard the voice of a young man.

"I'm a doctor." She didn't recognize that voice. It was a woman. If Jane had the energy to frown, she would've. The voice sounded fragile, weak. As if she was on the verge of crying.

She heard the young man tell her to quickly get in, before he shut the door. Seconds later, Jane felt the ambulance start to move.

"Ma'am? Can you hear me?" She opened her eyes, the blurry face of a young man in his mid-twenties coming into view. She nodded, though she wasn't sure if he saw it. She saw him smile softly.

"Can you tell me your name?" Jane felt his hands move across her body, making a list of all her injuries. She opened her mouth a few times, trying to say something as simple as her name.

"It's okay, take your time." Jane groaned softly, before rasping out her name,

"Ja-Jane." She breathed, hissing at the sharp pain in her side.

"Jane." The whisper came from the left of her. She let her eyes wonder over to the sound, finding a woman around her age staring intently at her, fear in her eyes.

_Who is she?_ Jane remembered the paramedic telling her that she couldn't drive with them unless she was family. She remembered her answer. Was she there when the accident happened? Jane opened her mouth.

"What happened? She mumbled, taking a deep breath.

"You had an accident." The voice belonged to the paramedic, but Jane kept looking at the woman at her side. She frowned.

"Accident?" There was a sudden flash of guilt in the woman's eyes, her fear increasing. She bit her lip, tears appearing in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Jane's eyes widened as she realized exactly who this woman was and what had happened. Everything had been a bit foggy after she had been hit, but it all returned to her now.

She kept her eyes on the woman, watching as she started to fidget with her hands, her eyes looking everywhere but at Jane. The Detective swallowed. Anger rose up within her. She was this close to catching the damn suspect and she got hit by a freakin' car? How can someone not see a person crossing the street?

She closed her eyes tightly against the pain she felt. Why hadn't the damn guy given her something for it yet? Focusing on her breathing, she vaguely heard the paramedic ask if the woman was okay, her sobs filling her ears as she dropped into unconsciousness.

* * *

A headache. That was the first thing Jane experienced when she woke hours later. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the harsh light invading her eyes. She lifted her left hand, trying to block out the light when something caught her eye. A cast. Surrounding her wrist. She frowned for a moment, trying to figure out why she would have a cast on. The car accident was still fresh on her mind, she just didn't remember breaking her wrist. She groaned softly as she dropped her hand back down.

"Janie?" She turned her head at the sound, finding her mother sitting in a chair next to her bed. The older woman rubbed her eyes, apparently just waking up from her sleep.

"Hey Ma." She rasped out, trying to give the woman a smile.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" She could see the concern in her mother's eyes. But what didn't escape her was the fear and anger that was behind it. She would definitely be getting a lecture later.

"Not sure. I have a headache." She tried to move around, the current position becoming more uncomfortable with the minute. The pain in her side stopped her and she groaned loudly, gritting her teeth.

"Don't move. You were hurt badly. I'll go get a nurse." Her mother quickly scampered out of her seat, disappearing down the hall. Jane watched her go, a sigh escaping her lips.

She had no idea in what state she was right now. She knew her wrist was broken and when she felt her face, she felt a nasal cannula delivering her oxygen. Something was wrong with her lungs. The thought immediately entered her mind and she felt panic begin to seep in. Someone had to tell her what the hell was wrong with her… and fast.

She tried to sit up, her body protesting against her moves.

"You shouldn't move." Jane froze.

That voice. She had heard it before. Lifting her eyes slowly, she came face to face with the same woman who was with her in the ambulance. She felt her anger return, her panic and uncomfortable feelings dissipating immediately.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Come to finish me off?" She knew her words were harsh, but right now she didn't care. The woman that hit her with her car, first had the nerve to drive in the ambulance with her and now she showed up in her hospital room?!

She watched as the woman shuffled nervously, opening her mouth several times to say something.

"I came to see if you were okay." Jane scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She ignored the pain, not about to let this stranger see her in a fragile state. She didn't even let her mother see her like that.

"Right. Now you've seen me. You can leave." Jane was surprised that talking came so easy. Not two minutes ago she was barely able to say hi to her mother and right now she was almost yelling in complete sentences.

The woman seemed to debate whether or not to leave. Jane kept her eyes glued on her, waiting for her to see her retreating back. But that didn't happen. Instead, the woman stepped further into the room, a sudden look of determination on her face. Jane raised her eyebrows, wondering if this woman was brave or just plain stupid.

"I'm not leaving yet. Not until I've apologized." The Detective narrowed her eyes.

She waited for the honey blonde to begin, but all she did was stand there, looking at Jane.

"Well?" The faster she would say what she had to say, the faster she would be gone and would leave Jane alone to sulk.

The woman took a breath, seemingly startled out of her trance. "I'm sorry." Jane waited a beat.

"That's it? You already said that." The stranger swallowed thickly, starting to fidget again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't…" A strangled sob escaped her throat and she sunk down in the chair, her hand in front of her mouth.

Jane just watched. Was this woman seriously going to cry right now? After hitting _her_ with her car? If anyone had the right to cry it was her damnit!

"I didn't see you." Honey blonde curls bounced as the woman shook her head, tears leaking from her eyes. "I hadn't been concentrating on the road and when I saw you it was already too late. I am so terribly sorry!" The sobs became louder as the woman buried her face in her hands.

Jane opened her mouth to say… what? What was she supposed to say? Tell her to watch out next time? To keep her eyes on the road? That wasn't going to change what happened. But then again, it might make Jane feel better.

The sobs continued to wreck the other woman's body. Jane sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Stop crying for crying out loud." This only caused the stranger to cry harder.

Jane was about to say something else, when her mother returned with a nurse. One look at Jane's face and the woman crying at her bedside had Angela scolding her daughter.

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli! What did you do?!" Jane gaped at her mother, looking on as she walked over to the distraught woman. Enveloping her in a hug, Angela glared at Jane.

"Really Ma?! Why don't you ask her what she did to _me?!_" Angela's eyes filled with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Jane huffed, making sure to eye the nurse who was checking Jane's vitals.

"She was the one that hit me. She's the reason I'm here!" The Detectives arms waved around, which she regretted instantly as a sharp pain entered her side.

"Mother-" "Jane!" She glared at her mother, who still had her arms around the stranger.

"How are you feeling?" Jane's brown eyes slowly left her mother, making their way to the other side where the nurse was standing.

"Really?" She heard her mother sigh. Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms once more. "I have a headache, my side is killing me and the person who tried to kill me is in the same room. How do you think I feel?"

"Jane!" She scowled, seeing the nurse's face turn to one of sympathy.

"I will give you something for your pain." Jane nodded appreciatively, before turning her attention back to her mother.

She was glad to see that she wasn't holding the woman anymore. Angela looked apprehensively at the woman next to her. The honey blonde's sobs had subsided and she furiously wiped at her eyes. Clearing her throat, she started to speak again.

"I'm sorry. I really am. My mind was on something else. I…" She trailed off, lifting her eyes to look at Jane. "Please forgive me." The last part was whispered and Jane was caught off guard at the amount of emotion she saw in those eyes.

She swallowed, uncrossing her arms. But she didn't answer. Angela reached out a hand, gently squeezing the woman's arm.

"What's your name sweetie?" Jane wanted to yell at her. Tell her to kick the woman out of her room. Tell her to drive her to the damn station to have her arrested. But somehow she understood her mother. The woman wasn't lying. Wasn't just apologizing to make herself feel better. She truly felt sorry for what she did.

"M-Maura. Maura Isles." The name sounded vaguely familiar to Jane, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. She kept her eyes fixed on Maura.

"I'm Angela. This is Jane." The Detective glared at her mother.

"Gee Ma, want to tell her where I live too?" The older woman gave her daughter a stern look. One she knew all too well. It was the _stop-being-such-a-pain-in-the-ass_ look. Jane sighed, pouting like a little girl.

"I'm very sorry Angela. I didn't mean to…" She swallowed, not able to finish her sentence. Angela smiled softly.

"I know. You're too sincere to have done this on purpose." Maura looked up surprised.

She had run over her daughter and she wasn't even mad? She hadn't really thought her plan through. All she wanted to do was make sure that the other woman was alive. But when she saw her try to move around, her doctoral instincts kicked in. She didn't plan on talking to her. Nor did she plan to cry her heart out in a complete stranger's hospital bed.

"You're not mad?" She saw Angela's smile drop.

"Oh, I'm mad. But that won't do any of us any good in this situation." Maura's mouth went dry. What was going to happen now? "I'm hoping you already talked to the police?" At Maura's nod, Angela continued. "Good. And you walking around freely tells me enough. But I would appreciate it if you would leave us alone now." All the honey blonde could do was nod again. Shooting one last apologetic glance at Jane, she quietly shuffled out of the room, turning back to give one more look at the women in the room.

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end of chapter one! My chapters will be around this length, so you know what you can expect! Let me know what all think of this chapter and I would love to read your reviews. I'm still not entirely sure if I'll be updating this once or twice a week. But you will soon find out! See you all next time and I sincerely hope you liked the first chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for the feedback from last chapter! I'm glad you're all liking it so much :) I will apologize in advance. I told you last chapter that the chapters would be around 2500 words, but this one is a bit shorter. No idea how that happened though. But the others will be longer! At least they should be. Anyway, I hope you're going to like this chapter as well. There will be more Jane and Maura bantering in the next chapter!**

* * *

After Maura had left, the doctor had walked in, asking her how she was feeling and performing a physical exam. He let her know that they would make a CT scan of her head and possibly an MRI. When she asked what her injuries were, he listed them off. Her most pressing injury was a punctured lung caused by a fractured rib. Her left wrist had been broken and her leg had been badly scraped. Her face had several bruises and she had suffered a mild concussion. Dr. Henderson told her someone would be over to get her for the CT scan, before excusing himself and leaving the room.

Angela had slowly but steadily started going off about the dangers of her job and why she couldn't do something safer. Jane had let her, not in the mood to deal with any of it anyway. To be honest, Maura was on her mind the whole time. She had no idea why, but her name sounded very familiar. She just couldn't remember where she had heard it. Angela slowly trailed off, having said what she wanted to. A knock startled them both.

"Korsak. Frost. Hey." Jane was glad to see another familiar face besides her mother. Frankie hadn't been around yet. He called to ask how she was doing and to let Jane know that they were going to find the suspect, before promising that he would be by soon.

The two Detectives gave Jane a small smile, before slowly entering the room. Korsak had some flowers in his hands while Frost held some sort of bunny balloon. He smiled sheepishly.

"How are you feeling?" She shrugged, motioning to herself. "Good point."

Angela stood up, reaching for the flowers in Korsak's hands. She gave the man a smile. "I'll put these in a vase."

Jane watched the interaction between the two with a small shake of her head. The two always acted like they were totally into each other, but neither of them actually acted on it. The two men took a seat, turning to face Jane.

"What happened? When we heard you got hit by a car we didn't know it would be this bad." Jane chuckled, before hissing in pain.

"Damnit. Yeah well. I didn't even know it was this bad until the doctor came in and listed it all off. Fucking car. I almost had the guy too." She scowled, amusing the men in the room.

"So do you know who hit you?" Jane's eyes turned to Frost.

"Maura Isles. She's a doctor apparently. Came over here to apologize and started crying all over herself." The Detective shook her head. "Even Ma felt sorry for her. And that was _after_ she found out that she was the one who ran me over." Frost and Korsak shared a look.

"You pressing charges?" The older man asked, eyeing Jane.

The woman sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know. She obviously has enough to deal with. Besides, I don't really want to deal with any of that stuff."

"Fair enough. So when you getting out of here?" Jane smirked at Frost.

"As fast as I can. You know I hate hospitals." The Detective leaned back, closing her eyes. She heard Korsak talk to her.

"You're not going until the doctors clear you Jane. And don't make me put uniforms outside your room to make sure." She smiled, opening her eyes to look at the older man.

"Fine. Besides, I think Ma will have me tied down if I try anything."

"You're damn sure I will." Angela walked back into the room, flowers in hand. She placed it down on the nightstand, shooting Jane a warning look.

"Hey!" Frost suddenly piped up. "Did you say Maura Isles?" Jane raised an eyebrow, nodding. The young buy frowned.

"I think I heard her name from somewhere."

"Yeah, so did I. Can't seem to remember from where though."

The room was silent for a moment. Jane took a breath, reveling in the calmness that surrounded her. She hated hospitals, yes, but as long as there was someone around it was bearable. Letting these thoughts fill her mind, she slowly let herself succumb to sleep.

* * *

Jane had to stay in the hospital for another week. She had started moaning and whining after the second day, but apparently the nurses and the doctors wouldn't budge. She figured her mother and Korsak had something to do with it. She was glad when she was being discharged and was walking out of the hospital. Much to her mother's chagrin who had insisted on her being in a wheel chair.

"Ma, I'm fine! If I wouldn't have been able to walk I wouldn't have been discharged." She heard her Ma grumble something behind her, but paid no attention to it. Instead, something caught her eye. Or rather someone.

She stopped dead in her tracks, Angela who had been walking behind her bumped into her. "Jane! Don't just stop like that! There are people behind you. Are you even listening to me? Of course you're not. You never listen to your mother. You wouldn't have ended up in this situation if you had. Jane!"

The Detective scowled. "What's she doing here?" Angela followed her daughter's gaze. Her eyes landed on Maura Isles, standing by their car with a fruit basked in her arms. She looked nervous.

"I don't know." Angela didn't say any more, also confused as to why the doctor was there. "But let's go find out." She gave Jane one more pointed look before walking to the car, bags in hand. Jane sighed, trailing after her.

"Maura." The doctor's head snapped up at the sound of her name. Both women saw her eyes widen, fear flashing in them for just a moment.

"Uhm, hello." Her eyes moved to Jane. "I heard you were being discharged. I just… wanted to give you this." She held out the basked for Jane, expecting her to take it. Instead, Jane just looked at it completely offended. She wanted to make a comment about her wrist and the cast that was adorning it, but thought against it. So instead she went with something else.

"So you think you can buy my forgiveness?" Maura's eyes widened and she quickly retaliated.

"N-No, I just… you told me to leave you alone, so I did. But I wanted to give you something. This fruit basket will severely help with the rest of your treatment. They hold vitamins and minerals that are essential to your recovery. Like vitamin K, magnesium, folium, calcium." She trailed off, seeing the blank faces of both women. "Please take this."

Angela stepped forward after seeing that her daughter wasn't going to move an inch. She smiled at the woman. "Thank you Maura. It's very kind of you." The honey blonde smiled softly, before turning away. Both Angela and Jane watched her walk off.

Angela sighed. "She didn't mean to run you over Jane." Jane raised her eyebrows.

"So what? I'm just supposed to forgive and forget? I don't think so." Jane waltzed over to the car, indicating that this conversation was over. Angela rolled her eyes, but followed her nonetheless, carefully putting the fruit basket on the back seat. Her daughter was always so stubborn.

* * *

Jane's 'recovery' consisted of a week alone in her apartment. Her mother came over every day to cook her something and clean up, seeing as Jane only had one working hand and it wasn't her good one. She kept nagging her mother, telling her she could handle it, but the woman wouldn't have any of it. Frankie came over every other day after his shift, giving her somewhat of a change. But she quickly grew tired of sitting at home. She couldn't wait to get back to work. Even if she was stuck to desk duty for the remainder of the time.

The fruit basket she had gotten from Maura stood untouched in a corner of the room. She had wanted to throw it away, but after getting a look from her mother she had refrained from it. Didn't mean she had to eat any of it though. Besides, it wouldn't take long before the fruit was starting to rot and she _had_ to throw it out. If it didn't walk off on its own that is.

The week progressed slowly and painfully, the Detective still relying on pain-meds. She was starting to feel better, but she wasn't allowed to exercise or do anything that would strain her brain. If she would be feeling nauseous or lightheaded or had any other symptoms she had to contact the hospital immediately. Fortunately for her, she was symptom free. Not that she was actually going to go back there anyway.

Monday morning couldn't come sooner and Jane felt completely at ease when she walked into the precinct. She was greeted by several officers, happy to see her going back at it. She smiled appreciatively, grabbing a coffee as she headed upstairs to start her day. Even desk duty didn't seem to bring her mood down. However, the sight she saw when she walked into the bull pen made her blood run cold.

"Jane! You're back." Frost's voice didn't succeed in taking her eyes off the figure standing in the middle of the room.

"What the hell are you doing here?" What was this woman trying to do? Invade her life? Try to make it unbearable? She clenched her jaw, narrowing her eyes at the woman.

"Good morning Detective. I see you're back to work. Did you enjoy the fruit basket I gave you?" Jane just looked at this woman, wondering if she was serious.

"Are you serious? You really think I would touch any of that? I told you already, you can't buy my forgiveness. Now what the hell are you doing here?" She felt a feeling of guilt seep into her stomach as she saw the hurt flash through Maura's eyes. She quickly pushed it away however, remembering that she was the reason she just spend two weeks away from her job.

Maura cleared her throat, obviously trying to get her composure back. "I'm the new Chief Medical Examiner. So we'll be seeing more of each other." She turned back to Korsak, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes on her face. "Did you need me for something else Sargent?" Korsak could only shake his head, before watching the doctor walk off.

Maura stopped for a moment when she passed Jane, letting her eyes travel over Jane's face.

"You look a little pale Detective. Some fruit would surely benefit you at the moment." Not waiting for a reply, she made her way to the elevator, leaving a stunned Jane behind.

Frost whistled. "Damn. She can hold her own. Better watch your back Jane." Jane glared at Frost, her sour mood returning.

"Shut up Frost." She let herself drop down in the chair, wincing when she felt her body protest. She still wasn't a hundred percent. Sighing, she looked at the pile of paperwork on her desk. They had definitely made sure she would be occupied for the oncoming weeks.

Grabbing the top folder, she flipped it open with her right hand, now suddenly wishing she was still at home.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, so let me know what you thought and I will be uploading twice a week once She's The Man - Or Not has finished. This story will take its slot! So for now! Until next week. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome back to another chapter! Hope you all liked the last one. I was happy to read all your reviews, they make me happy! :) On another note however. For everyone who read She's The Man - Or Not, I have decided to either do a sequel, or an epilogue, although I have no idea which one to do. So keep an eye out for that! Anyway, on with this story! Oh, and for everyone who said that Jane is an ass in this story, this is about the last chapte where she is an ass. I mean, Maura did run her over so... couldn't have her forgive and forget just like that right? So, without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

The day stretched on and Jane's mood wasn't getting any better. And apparently her partners had noticed because she hadn't heard another comment about the Doctor after Jane had threatened to shoot both of them after her wrist had healed. She sighed as she leaned back in her chair. Looking around, she found herself pretty much alone in the bull pen. Korsak and Frost were following up on a lead and apparently everyone had gotten the memo about Jane. Stay as far away as you could.

Footsteps pulled Jane from her thoughts and she looked up just in time to see Maura coming into view. She scowled, averting her eyes back to the screen. If she would just pretend she didn't hear or see her she would go away. Right?

But Jane never had such luck. When bad things happened they always tormented her months later. Maura walked up to her desk.

"Detective Rizzoli. Could you give this to Detective Frost when he returns? It involves the case he's currently working on." Jane narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the Doctor.

Her face exuded professionalism, not showing any kind of emotion. Her eyes held a confidence Jane hadn't seen before. The woman she had met was small, fragile, scared. Eyeing the folder in Maura's hand, she motioned to lay it down on her desk. When the honey blonde didn't give any indication to doing so, she raised an eyebrow, silently asking what her problem was.

"I'd rather not have this folder get mixed up with all the others. You're desk doesn't show any sign of order. Who knows where this could end up?" The Detective let out a sharp laugh, effectively scaring Maura.

"Then why the hell did you ask me to keep it for him? His desk is right there y'know. Just leave it there and I'll tell him what it's for when he gets back. Now if you don't mind I have a lot of work to get to." Promptly ignoring Maura, Jane went back to work.

The Doctor seemed to move in slow motion, keeping her eyes solely fixed on the Detective. As she put the file down on Frost's desk, she frowned. She had been nervous about seeing Jane at work. Especially after what had happened the last time she saw her. But she figured that after a week the Detective would have been able to forgive her and move on. She didn't seem so lucky as it turned out. But she would be damned if she would let her treat her like some kind of misfit who couldn't do anything right.

She turned on her heel, leaving the Detective alone. As she waited for the elevator to take her down to the morgue, she wondered how Jane and Angela could be so different. In the first week she had started her job she had learned that Angela worked in the café. She was hesitant at first, afraid the woman would ignore her. But as she got up the courage to go to the counter to get something that was actually worth calling a drink, she found that Angela wasn't mad at her at all. She was quick to forgive the honey blonde for everything that happened. After that day, the two found themselves striking up a conversation every time Maura came by.

The elevator took her down to her office, where she sat down behind her computer. She had some cases she had to tie up before the Detectives could officially close them. There were no autopsies at the moment so Maura had plenty of time to get to work. However, not even five minutes later Jane stormed in, slamming the folder she had left on Frost's desk down on her own.

"What the fuck is this?" Maura frowned at the folder, before looking up into Jane's angry eyes.

"My report for the Dawson case."

"Gee, I hadn't figured that out yet. What I meant is why does it say here that the murder weapon is a Smith & Wesson knife while the other report clearly states it was a kitchen knife?" Maura blinked rapidly.

Had she messed up somewhere? Had she mixed up the murder weapon? Thoughts started swarming her mind. What had she done?

"Well?!" The booming sound of Jane's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She was always so careful in her findings, double checking everything before even thinking of handing it over to the Detectives. She had never made such a mistake before.

"I-I don't know." She felt heat rise to her cheeks, felt tears pricking just behind her eyes. She wasn't going to cry. Not in front of Jane. Not again.

"Let me check both reports and I'll correct my mistake. I'm very sorry detective. It won't happen again." Jane relaxed somewhat, seeing the change in Maura's demeanor.

"Good. Come back with the _right_ report this time." Maura watched Jane leave her office before she let the tears fall.

* * *

Evening was just falling in when Maura entered the bull pen again. Both Detective Korsak and Frost were back and Maura felt herself relax slightly at the sight of them. Having been alone with Jane made her feel on edge. Made her feel scrutinized. Especially after the Detective came down to her office pointing out a crucial error. To be honest, she had been waiting all day for someone to come down to her and ask her what the hell she was thinking. But no one had come. She had finished the report hours ago, but she was hesitant to go back up there. Eventually she had told herself not to let the Detective get to her like that and focus on her job. That was the reason she was there anyway.

"Doctor Isles. Do you have the report on our vic?" Maura smiled pleasantly at Detective Korsak, before handing the file over.

"I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner. It took a little longer than I had expected." Korsak waved it away, opening the folder. He glanced at Frost.

"Told you it was a Smith & Wesson Frost. You're buying me a drink tonight." Frost grumbled under his breath.

Maura frowned. We're they betting on what the murder weapon was? Korsak's laugh brought her out of her trance.

"Frost was sure it was a simple kitchen knife. He even went as far as to write it up in his preliminary report. Gotta stop being so naïve kid. Good thing we have the Doc here to clean up your mistakes." Frost glared at the man.

"Better young and naïve than old and fat." Maura tuned out the rest of their bantering as her eyes slowly slid over to where Jane sat. She looked as if she wished she were anywhere but here. She narrowed her eyes.

"Detective Rizzoli. May I have a word please?" Korsak and Frost's bantering died down as their eyes went from Maura to Jane and back.

Jane sighed as she stood up, hiding a wince. Walking out of the bull pen, she followed Maura into one of the empty interrogation rooms. Crossing her arms, she gazed at the Doctor. Maura cleared her throat.

"I don't appreciate what you just did detective." Jane merely raised an eyebrow.

"And what did I do? I didn't run you over with my car. Didn't buy you a fruit basket to buy your forgiveness. So what did I do?" Her words stung, but Maura didn't let it show. She kept her mask on. She was done letting others make her feel miserable.

"You told me I made a mistake. One that is crucial to the case detective Frost and Korsak are working on at the moment. I started to second guess myself. I couldn't believe I had made such a mistake. But then I come up here and it turns out that I didn't make a mistake. So tell me detective. Does it make you feel good to make others feel miserable? Because I sure don't understand."

The silence was deafening. Maura waited for Jane to say something. Say anything. She had known this wasn't going to be easy. But she never thought it would be this hard. That this grown woman could act so childishly. The Detective cleared her throat, shuffling around awkwardly.

"Fine. So you didn't make a mistake. You still could've. You're not perfect." Maura shook her head.

"No, I am certainly not perfect. But I strive to be perfect when it comes to my job. And I would very much appreciate it if you would refrain from such childish acts from now on." She watched as Jane's face turned from awkward to angry within seconds.

"Childish acts? Are you seriously calling me childish?!"

"Yes, I am."

"You're the childish one if you start spouting around things like that."

"I'm not spouting around anything Jane. I am merely stating the obvious. If you want to resort to such things to make you feel better about yourself then you are childish. We are going to have to work together closely. And I understand if you haven't forgiven me yet, but you could at least act like the professional I've heard you are when we are at work." Maura huffed when she finished before storming out of the room, leaving a fuming Jane behind.

Fine. She would act like a professional at work, see if she could handle that. Throwing the door shut behind her, Jane stalked to her desk to grab her things.

"I'm going home." No one said a word as they watched the Detective walk out of the bull pen.

* * *

The next day was spend practically the same. Well, except for arguing with Maura of course. Jane kept her eyes and ears on the case her partners were working on, chipping in so now and then. She wasn't allowed to do this officially, but she knew they appreciated her help. It was after lunch when Maura came up, relaying the information she had about several fibers they had found on the Vic's clothing. Jane pretended to be busy as she listened to the Doctor's voice.

"So they're wool?" Jane glanced up at Frost.

"Well, cashmere actually."

"All of them?" Again Frost.

"Yes, they seem to be from different types of clothing, but they're all cashmere." Jane snorted.

"So it's the wife." She leaned back in her seat, joining in on the conversation.

"You can't just assume it's the wife detective." Jane grinned at Maura. _You want me to be professional? Fine, I'll be professional._

"All you have to do is take a look at the pictures from the crime scene. The wife's on them. Just look at what she's wearing." She watched as all three heads turned to the board behind her, looking for the picture Jane was talking about.

Maura walked up to the board, letting her fingers trail over said picture. "Oh my."

"Does that look like the fibers you found?" Maura glanced over at Jane, drawing her eyebrows together.

"Well, I couldn't be a hundred percent sure without comparing the fibers to her clothing, but it seems to match, yes." Jane chose to ignore the comment.

"And does she have an alibi?" This time she turned to Frost, who quickly typed something on his keyboard.

"She told us she was home alone. She seemed so distraught that I didn't second guess it." Jane went on.

"And someone who can afford clothing like that is sure to own a home security system. See if it was armed at the time of death."

While Frost did his thing, Maura let her eyes wander over to Jane. She hadn't even been invested in the case. Not like Frost or Korsak were, but she seemed to remember the things that were important. She might just have closed this case. She sure did live up to her reputation.

"Got it!" Three heads turned his way. "It wasn't armed." Jane grinned.

"Then go get her." Frost quickly scampered out of his seat, Korsak hot on his heels.

Jane let her gaze fall on Maura. The two stared at each other for a moment.

"That was… impressive." Maura's words seemed to stir up a feeling of guilt in Jane. She looked down at her hands.

"I guess it is true what they say about you." This made Jane look up, her questioning eyes locking with Maura's. The Doctor shot her some sort of half smile. Jane wasn't sure what it meant.

"You're a very good detective." Jane could feel a heat start to rise up to her cheeks and she quickly averted her gaze, ducking her head. She heard a sigh.

"I am sorry for what I did Jane." The Detective swallowed.

"Don't." She rasped.

"Don't what?" Jane looked up.

"Don't do this." Maura looked confused, not understanding what was going on. All she was doing was try to say she was sorry.

"First you compliment me and then you say you're sorry. It doesn't work that way." Maura could hear the hesitation in Jane's voice.

"Then how does it work? Tell me how it works."

"I'm still mad at you damnit!" The scream got the attention of several officers around them. Jane quickly glared at them, effectively making them return to their work.

Maura kept her ground, waiting for Jane to continue. The Detective stood up, getting close to Maura.

"First you almost kill me. Then you have the nerve to drive with me to the hospital. Then you show up there and now you work at the same place as me! For all I know you're some kind of crazy stalker and you really did want me dead." Even though Jane started out strong, her anger quickly evaporated and she ended feeling insecure. It sounded crazy. Even to Jane, who had seen a lot of things in her life at BPD.

Maura saw and heard it. She licked her lips. "I assure you that I am not a stalker. Maybe I shouldn't have driven with you to the hospital, or showed up there, but I felt obliged to make sure you were okay." Her voice was soft. She tried to sound comforting.

"Why? Because if I did die you could step in and be all like 'I got this, don't worry!' or cover up what you did? You probably would've proposed to do the autopsy just to rule it an accident or something." Maura gave her an incredulous look.

"I went to the police as soon as I found out you were going to be okay. Why would I want to try and cover this up? It would only have led to something worse. Besides, I doubt I would've been allowed to do the autopsy seeing as I was the one who caused the accident." Again, the two stared at each other. Until Maura spoke up once more.

"Why didn't you press charges? I was at fault after all." Jane swallowed thickly.

Why she hadn't she pressed charges? She remembered having been asked the same question by an officer. It would've been easy to have her locked up. But she had simply said no at the time. Not really giving it any second thought. And after the officer had left she hadn't thought it about it any longer. But now that the question was posed again, she wasn't sure why she said no.

"I don't know. I guess I didn't want to go through all that shit." She averted her eyes, stuffing her right hand in her pocket.

Maura didn't say anything. What could she say? Thank you? For saving my career while I almost killed you? She coughed awkwardly, causing Jane's eyes to lock onto hers.

"Tell me how I can make this up to you… please." The vulnerability in Maura's voice made Jane take back the snappy remark that was on her tongue.

"Look. It happened all right? We can't change it. So let's drop it." Of course that would be too easy.

"I can't just drop it Jane. You have no idea what it meant to me when you didn't press charges. What it still means to me. Please, there has to be something I can do." The Detective studied the woman in front of her.

Right now, she was the same woman she had met two weeks ago. The same fragile, scared woman. Jane wondered if this was the real Maura. If this woman was always so scared, so sad. She sighed, running her right hand through her hair.

"You know what. Just… I don't know… cook for me or something. I can't do it and my Ma is driving me crazy by coming over every day." She wasn't even sure where this came from. Initially she had wanted to tell her to leave her alone. That that was what she could do for her. But something else made her say this. Something she wasn't even too sure of.

But when she saw the smile on the other woman's face, she felt a little less weird about it. And that's when she realized it. She literally just invited her over to her apartment for dinner. _Fuck._

* * *

**A/N: Hmm, looks like things are starting to get a bit more interesting. Let me know what you thought and next chapter will be up this Friday. Unless I do opt for the epilogue and it's finished by then. Anyway, make sure to check it out Friday! Enjoy your week!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry that I didn't update yesterday, but FF was being a pain and wouldn't let me. But here it is! The next part of this lovely story. Asshole Jane has left the building! Hope you will all like this chapter as much as I did writing it. I apologize for the fact that it isn't as long as I promised it would be, but sometimes you just have to end a chapter at a certain point. Anyway, on with the story.**

* * *

"Where do you keep your spoons?" Jane scowled from her spot on the couch.

"Second drawer on the right." She turned her head to look at the woman in the kitchen.

"You know I didn't mean tonight right?" Maura's curls bounced as she walked through the kitchen, opening drawers left and right.

"When did you mean then?" The simple question made Jane groan. She turned back to the TV.

"Never mind." Footsteps came to a halt next to her and Jane looked up to see Maura look down at her, holding out a beer.

Jane stared at the woman for a moment, before reaching out her hand and sheepishly taking the offered beer. She watched Maura trudge back into the kitchen. A banging sound seconds later made her wince before she looked back.

"Everything okay in there?"

"Y-Yes everything is fine!" The slight panic in Maura's voice piqued Jane's interest and she made her way to her kitchen beer in hand.

What she saw made her burst out laughing, holding onto the counter for dear life. Maura was on her knees, pots, pans and cutlery all splayed around her, the woman looking completely lost. She glared up at Jane, blowing a stray hair out of her face.

"It's not funny!" This only made Jane laugh harder.

Maura felt a smile tug at her lips and before she knew it, she was joining in. After their laughter died down, it felt as if some of the ice was broken. Jane still had a smile on her face as she looked down at Maura, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"How did this happen?" She set her beer on the counter and kneeled down next to Maura, starting to grab some cutlery. Maura shook her head, following Jane's lead.

"I was reaching for something in one of the top cabinets when a pan fell out taking everything else with it." Jane glanced at said cabinet, her eyes widening in realization.

"Shit. I should've told you about that. I pretty much cram everything I don't need in there." The Detective rubbed the back of her neck, looking up at Maura.

"Why am I not surprised?" Jane raised an eyebrow.

"Your desk is just as orderly as your apartment." Jane couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Yeah, I'm not very good at cleaning." Maura smiled at the other woman. She reached out a hand, gently laying it atop of Jane's. They both did their best to ignore the spark that ignited from the touch.

"I can clean this up. I made it in the first place. You can go back to watching your game." At first Jane complied. She got up, grabbed her beer and got ready to head back to her couch, but her guilt pulled her back. She had one good hand, she might as well use it.

Which is what she told Maura after she got back down to help her clean everything up. The honey blonde seemed stunned for a moment, before shaking herself out of her reverie and smiling at the Detective. Jane wondered what that was about.

Twenty minutes later found the two women seated on the couch with a plate of lasagna in their hands… or hand in Jane's case. Jane was glad her mother filled her fridge with groceries. She wouldn't be sure what they would be eating right now if she hadn't.

She kept sneaking glances over at Maura next to her while they ate. The Doctor seemed totally engrossed in whatever was playing on TV and Jane took this time to actually study her. The first time she had seen her she hadn't looked any further than her clothes. Which oozed richness. And after she had seen her in the hospital she thought she was a mental case. Then when she saw her again at work she thought she was a plain rich bitch. But as they were seated here, Jane had to rethink all of it.

Everyone else would have been happy with not being charged. Would have hurried to agree when Jane told her to just drop it. But not Maura. She had practically begged her to let her do something. Anything.

There was something else about her however. Something that Jane had noticed the moment they had walked through the door. A sadness. A sadness that lingered around her, went everywhere she went. She hadn't paid much attention to it at work, too busy to make her miserable, but thinking back, it had been there then too. A sudden feeling of guilt entered her when she thought about what her behavior had meant to her.

"Is there something on my face?" Jane's eyes widened as she realized Maura was now staring at her. She felt a blush creep up her neck, ashamed at having been caught staring.

"Uh, no. Your face is fine. Flawless actually." She internally cringed. _Flawless? Where the hell did that come from?_ Maura smiled softly, before nodding and turning back to the screen.

Jane felt her heart slowly start to wind down as she focused her eyes on the TV. A little distraction would do her good. She had no idea why she had just said that. The two finished their meal in silence, the only sound coming from the TV.

* * *

"Thanks." Jane's voice was barely heard over the streaming water. Maura looked up from the dishes, genuinely surprised. The Detective kept her eyes down, focusing on drying the dish in her hands.

She was having trouble. The cast was proving to be more and more of a burden and her frustration grew every day. A simple task of getting dressed took her at least twenty minutes. Sometimes longer. Maura's hands shook her out of her thoughts. She watched as the honey blonde gently took the plate out of Jane's hands.

"Let me." Jane swallowed, her mouth suddenly gone dry.

"How are the daily activities going?" At Jane's frown, Maura elaborated. "Things like dressing yourself, brushing your teeth, your hair. Detective Frost told me you're left handed." The Detective shrugged, putting some distance between them.

"It takes longer. But I'm fine." Shuffling on her feet, Jane wondered what had just happened. She took a few breaths, trying to settle herself. Why was she suddenly feeling so nervous? Unfortunately for Jane, Maura noticed.

"Jane, are you all right?" Jane nodded vigorously, chuckling nervously.

"I'm fine. I just uhm… have to uhh…have to go to the bathroom! Yeah." The last part sounded more of a realization than anything else, but Maura watched her go, a slight frown on her face.

Had she done something wrong? Said something wrong? All she was doing was trying to help. Finishing the dishes off, she started thinking more and more that maybe that was the problem. Jane had initially told her that she wanted her to leave her alone, but here she was imposing in Jane's life. When she finished cleaning up the kitchen and Jane still hadn't left the bathroom, Maura grabbed her coat. With one last look in the direction of the bathroom, Maura opened the door and stepped out.

When Jane walked out of the bathroom five minutes later, she found her apartment empty. "Maura?" There was no answer. Letting her eyes travel around, she found something missing. She groaned in frustration when she saw Maura's coat and purse gone.

* * *

Jane walked into the precinct the next morning, intended to talk to Maura. She wanted to know why the woman had left so suddenly. Grabbing some coffee at the café, she said hi to Angela and took the elevator down to the morgue. She saw Maura seated behind her desk, a concentrated look on her face. She knocked a few times, effectively gaining Maura's attention.

"Detective. What brings you down here?" Jane almost flinched at the tone Maura used. It sounded as if she hadn't come over and cooked dinner last night.

Jane entered her office, closing the door behind her softly. She watched Maura's eyebrows draw together, confusion in her eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you." The Doctor leaned back in her seat, clasping her hands together.

"About?"

"Really? You left yesterday without so much as a goodbye. What the hell happened?"

Maura sighed running her hands over her face. Jane saw she was tired.

"I'm sorry. I thought that maybe I had done something wrong and when you didn't come out of the bathroom I thought that maybe you were waiting for me to leave."

Jane shook her head. "Wh-What? You thought I wanted you to leave?" Maura's nod urged her on. "Maura. My left hand is in a cast. You asked seconds before I went into the bathroom if I were able to dress myself." It took a few moments for the realization kicked in.

Maura's eyes widened and she turned red from embarrassment. "Oh, I am so sorry. I just… you seemed so nervous all of a sudden and… I am so sorry."

Jane couldn't help but laugh.

"It's fine." Maura cocked her head to the left, a smile gracing her lips.

"Did we just have a civil conversation?"

"I guess so." The two shared a smile.

"Would you like me to come over tonight again?" Maura's voice filled the silence that had enveloped them.

Jane seemed to ponder this over for a while. She bit her lip, her eyebrows drawing together. Maura mistook this, thinking that Jane was trying to come up with an excuse.

"I-If you don't want to then it's fine." Jane was quick to intervene.

"No, it's not that it's just… I don't want you to feel like it's an obligation or anything."

"I don't. It was… nice." Maura ducked her head, trying to hide the blush that was forming. Jane smiled softly.

"Yeah, it was." The agreement made the honey blonde look up through her eyelashes.

"So uhm… I'll see you tonight?" Jane was already moving towards the door, trying her best not to think that Maura looked dead sexy right now. As she pulled it open, she turned to look over her shoulder, waiting for an answer.

"Tonight." Maura smiled. "But there is a 98.7% chance that I will see you earlier than tonight." Jane's laughter echoed through the halls, widening the Doctor's smile.

* * *

**A/N: So, there was a little bit of drama, but everything worked out in the end :) Can't have the girls keep fighting can I? Let me know what you guys thought and the next chapter will be up Monday! So you don't have to wait so long this time! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome back to another chapter. I hope everyone had a great Easter. I know I did. Great weather as well. But that's not why you're here. Thank you to all that favorited, reviewed and followed. I hope this chapter will satisfy your needs until Friday! A little bit of everything in this one!**

* * *

A week passed and the two women found a routine in nightly dinners at Jane's place. Maura would come over – bringing groceries with her if Jane had run out – and would cook them both a meal. It had been slightly awkward at first, neither of them knowing exactly what to talk about. They didn't seem to have anything in common so far, except for the love of their job. So that's what most conversation consisted of. But after they had been spending more time together they started talking more about themselves.

Jane learned that Maura was an only child and adopted. She also learned that the woman was divorced. It had surprised Jane initially. In all this time no ex-husband had been mentioned. But the surprise quickly wore off when Maura continued explaining. They had met in college and when he proposed Maura had accepted. Although she soon found out she wasn't in love with him, she stayed by him for her mother's sake. But when something tragic happened she quickly left him, deciding to start over in Boston.

Jane had wanted to ask what that something was, but something in Maura's eyes stopped her. If the woman wanted to tell her she would. Until then, she would keep her mouth shut. It was none of her business anyway. Maura turned the conversation around, asking Jane what her childhood was like and what it was like to grow up with siblings.

The Detective rolled her eyes before indulging in her childhood, telling stories of the Rizzoli family outings and shenanigans. She let Maura laugh more than once and the sound warmed her heart. Something inside of her made her want to make Maura forget about that sadness, even if it was for a little while.

"And when Ma walked back into the kitchen the whole place was covered in flour. I thought she was going to have a heart attack when she saw us." Maura laughed heartedly.

"What happened then?" Jane took a bite of salad.

"She made us clean _everything_ up. And of course she blamed me because I had to be their role model and everything."

"Well, I'm sure you're a very good role model." Jane looked up just in time to catch Maura's eyes. Something about them seemed to change, the atmosphere suddenly turning serious.

The Detective swallowed her bite of salad, watching as Maura took a sip of the wine she had brought with her, licking her lips after she had swallowed. All the while, the two of them had been staring at each other and Jane felt the familiar warmth in her stomach return. Her mouth had gone dry and her hands were sweaty. She cleared her throat to get rid of some of the tension, averting her eyes back to her plate. _Drink._ She needed something to drink. Her hand shot out quickly, intending to grab her beer. But in her haste and clumsiness she knocked it over. She cursed as she felt the liquid run down her pants. Scrambling to her feet, she watched as Maura quickly grabbed the bottle.

"Fuck. That's just great. I only have two of these." She looked like a girl who had just watched her ice cream fall on the ground.

"You have two pair of slacks?" Maura had been cleaning up the mess, pausing to look up at Jane with an incredulous look on her face. Jane huffed.

"So what? I don't need to have ten pairs of the same pair of pants. Unlike someone else." Maura had learned to catch onto Jane's sarcasm. It was hard sometimes, but one look in Jane's eyes told her what she needed to know. And that look was staring right at her now.

"Go and get yourself cleaned up. I'll clean up _this_ mess." The Detective smirked at Maura.

"Are you calling me a mess?" The teasing flirting tone in Jane's voice didn't go unnoticed by Maura. _Two can play a game._

"Yes, a very _hot_ mess." She grinned at Jane, letting her dimples show. The Detective was effectively stunned into silence and Maura watched her scramble towards her bedroom, muttering something about going to go get changed.

She wasn't blind to Jane's looks. She had seen the other woman eye her more than once. She just wasn't sure if Jane herself knew what she was doing. She hadn't made anything close to a move. Maura was getting tired of waiting, wanting to know if Jane was into her or not. So she was starting to make comments herself, closely observing the Detective as she did. And judging from Jane's reaction she was sure that there was something there between them. If only Jane would get her head out of her ass and see it herself.

Maura cleared the table, their food having gone cold by now. She figured they could eat dessert once Jane came back from her bedroom. However, ten minutes later and there was still no Jane to be seen. Maura was starting to get worried. What if that comment had really scared Jane off? What if this time she _was_ waiting for her to leave? The Doctor made her way to Jane's bedroom, knocking softly on the door.

"I'll be out in a minute!" Maura was about to tell her that she'd be waiting outside when she heard Jane curse followed by a thud. Panic rising in her chest, Maura was quick to open the door and step inside the room. She blinked a few times when she saw Jane lying on the floor, obviously exhausted.

"Uhh Jane?" She tried, walking closer to the other woman. Jane lifted her head to look at Maura, before dropping it back to the ground.

"I can't get out of these pants." Maura bit her lip to stop herself from laughing at the flustered Detective.

"Would you like me to help?" The question sounded innocent enough. However, there was an underlying tone that was clear to both of them. Jane had no choice though. She wasn't exactly looking forward to walking around smelling like beer. Besides, she would have to change before she went to bed anyway.

"Yeah… sure." Jane sat up slowly, eyeing Maura. The other woman smiled innocently. Jane sighed as she got up. "I just need help with the button and zipper." She could feel her heart start to hammer in her chest, felt her face flush red.

She watched as Maura nodded and walked over to her, keeping her eyes solely on Jane's. Jane took a shaky breath when Maura stopped right in front of her.

"Are you okay?" Jane nodded, smiling half-heartedly. "F-Fine." Maura bit back a laugh at Jane's stammer.

She reach out her hands, glancing up into Jane's eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at what she saw there. Was that… arousal? She swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling very self-conscious and nervous. She smiled shyly, her hands quickly undoing Jane's button. The sound of the zipper filled the quiet room. Both eyes shot towards each other. Maura's hands stilled, her breath stopped. Before she had time to process what was happening, she felt Jane's lips on hers. Her eyes fluttered closed, her arms dropping down to her sides. She wasn't returning the kiss. She was too stunned to.

Jane pulled back when she felt Maura stiffen. Her eyes were wide when she realized what she had done.

"Shit, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." Jane's voice made Maura open her eyes, a dazed look in them. Jane had just kissed her.

"Maura?" She let her eyes slowly travel over Jane's face, from her lips, to her nose, eventually up to her eyes. "Say something." Maura opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She didn't know what to say. Did she like it? Would she want to do it again? She wasn't sure. It had caught her totally off guard. She had been wanting Jane to make a move right? Then why did this suddenly feel… weird?

"Uhm… I should go." She stepped back, her eyebrows drawing together. They shouldn't have done this. "Goodbye Jane."

Jane tried to call her back, tried to get her to stay, but she just stood there, rooted to the spot. What the hell was she thinking? What was wrong with her? She had been nothing but a bitch to the woman and now that they were suddenly getting to know each other she decided to kiss her? The sound of the door closing made Jane snap out of her thoughts. She slowly sunk down on her bed, head in her hands. Why did she always have to mess up the good things in her life?

And since when was she into women anyway? She had never felt anything for them, despite what everyone said when they thought she wasn't listening. But what she felt when Maura walked over to her. It was indescribable. She had never felt anything so… erotic? Was that the right word? The way Maura sauntered over to her, the way her eyes bore a hole into hers. Like she could see straight into her soul. It made Jane feel something she hadn't in years. She felt wanted. Yeah, there had been guys, but all they wanted to do was get in her pants. There was no emotional attachment. And when Jane finally found someone who she could be friends with, she screwed it up by kissing her.

Groaning, Jane let herself fall back onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. How was she going to make this right?

* * *

Maura had been having similar thoughts. Her mind was still reeling over the kiss as she made her way home. She blamed herself. She had been hinting towards this, urging Jane on. She hadn't thought Jane would actually act on her feelings. The Detective had been apprehensive about showing anything in front of her. She thought that maybe if she showed her that it was okay to feel these feelings that Jane would start to be more comfortable around her. That was a bad idea. It had only given her the idea that Maura wanted her. That she was feeling the same things.

But wasn't she? She had been thinking about the other woman lately. Lying awake at night, wondering what the Detective was doing. She was looking forward to their nightly dinners. All she wanted to do was to spend time with Jane. To get to know her. And she couldn't deny that Jane was beautiful. She was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. So would it be that bad to feel the same thing? Maura sighed. She had to talk to someone about this.

When she arrived home, she dropped her purse on the kitchen counter and quickly fished her phone out of it. Dialing the one number of whom she knew would pick up, she waited impatiently.

"_Maura?"_ She let out the breath she had been holding, feeling tears already pricking at her eyes. "Hey mom."

She had started crying almost as soon as she had started talking. She explained everything to her mother. Constance already knew about the car accident. Maura had called her that night, completely distraught. It had taken her a long time to get Maura to calm down somewhat. But the two hadn't spoken since Jane came back to work. Truthfully, Maura had been too busy hanging with Jane to think about it. Constance listened intently, not interrupting Maura once. When the honey blonde finished, there was a silence on the other side. Maura sniffed.

"Mom? What should I do?" Constance sighed softly.

"_I can't tell you what to do dear. You will have to figure that out on your own. But you like Jane don't you?" _

"I guess. I don't know. I like being around her."

"_Hmm, how does she make you feel?"_ Maura frowned at her glass of wine. During her talk with her mother she had grabbed one, needing to give herself something to do.

"What you do mean?"

Constance laughed softly. _"I mean. Does she make you happy? When you're around her, how do you feel?" _The question might be easy for some people, but to Maura, it was one of the most difficult questions she ever had to answer.

She was silent for a moment, biting down on her lip as she thought it through.

"Normal. She makes me feel normal."

"_Did Garrett ever make you feel that way?"_ Maura flinched at the sound of his name. They hadn't spoken about him in a long time. It was always a topic that both of them side-stepped. But the answer was clear enough.

"No. Jane's the only person that has ever made me feel this way. Does that mean that I like her? More than a friend I mean." She wasn't sure of anything right now. All she wanted was someone to tell her what she was feeling.

"_From what you've told me about the both of you I am positive that there are feelings between the two of you. But I can't be the one to tell you what those are. And if you should act on them or not. I remember when I met your father I wanted to be with him all the time. I think he even got sick of me sometimes. But that didn't stop us from being together for over forty years now. I think the question you have to answer is if you want Jane to be your friend or if you want her to be more. It might seem simple when I say it like this, but it's not. It will take some time Maura."_

Maura nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you mom. I guess I have some things to think about."

"_I'm here if you ever need to talk okay sweetheart?" _The Doctor took a shaky breath.

"I know. I love you mom."

"_I love you too."_

Maura let herself sink down onto the couch. She was glad she could talk to her mother. After Garrett the two of them had gotten closer than they ever were before. Now they made it a point to talk regularly. Maura felt guilty for not having called her sooner. Running a hand over her face, Maura sighed tiredly. She was going to have some sleepless nights ahead of her.

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**A/N: I just wanted a story where Constance and Maura actually had a mother/daughter relationship. I know everything with Garrett is confusing right now, but all will be revealed in due time! I'm not skipping over that part. It's a very important part of the story! Let me know what you guys thought and until Friday! Have a great week :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Welcome back everyone. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited. I know, same old same old. But you are the ones that keep me going! And also a massive thanks to everyone who takes the time to actually read it! Hope you're all liking it. So, this chapter is kind of a turn-around. Things are finally happening in the Rizzles universe. Enjoy!**

* * *

Maura spotted Jane the next morning as she walked into the precinct. The Detective was talking to her mother, obviously annoyed. Maura couldn't help but let a smile tug at her lips. Her eyes darted between the café and the elevator. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face Jane just yet. She had barely slept last night, her mind going back to that kiss every time her eyes started to droop. At around 3 AM she had given up and decided to make herself a cup of coffee.

Deciding to come back later for her tea, she started to make her way to the elevator. She kept glancing over towards where Jane was, hoping the Detective wouldn't suddenly come her way. Jane would probably come down to her office somewhere during the day, but at least then she was in her own familiar surroundings. Somewhere she felt more comfortable than in the middle of a café where everyone would see and hear them.

Maura let out a sigh of relief when the doors closed and she slumped against the wall. How was she going to get through this day? She was already feeling a headache coming on and nothing had even happened yet. The familiar 'ding' of the elevator made Maura straighten up. At least she still had her work to keep her busy.

Maura looked at her watch several hours later. 4:30 PM. Leaning back in her chair she rubbed her neck, trying to get rid of some of the tension. Maybe a massage would make her feel better. Reaching for her phone, she scrolled through her contacts. When she found who she was looking for, she pressed 'call'. It took her less than five minutes to make an appointment. Her masseuse would be at her place in an hour. Which would give her plenty of time to finish up her work and get home.

She made quick work of finishing up her reports and was grabbing her coat and purse when there was a knock at her door. She looked up to see Jane standing there, her eyes going from her coat to her face and back again.

"You leaving already?" Maura thought she heard a hint of defeat, but quickly brushed it off.

"I have an appointment in thirty minutes. Did you need something?" Jane frowned, sighing softly.

"I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I didn't mean to…" She waved her right hand.

"To kiss me?" The Detective ducked her head, a blush adorning her cheeks.

"Yeah." Maura had to strain her ears to hear the whisper. She bit her lip, thinking of her next words.

"Jane." The Detective looked up. Maura saw the hopefulness there. "I need some time okay?" Jane opened her mouth to say something, but changed her mind at the last minute, instead opting for a nod.

Maura walked up to her, a gentle look in her eyes. She reached out a hand, squeezing Jane's arm. "I need to figure out what I feel right now. The kiss caught me of guard. Please be patient."

"I'll try. Can't promise you anything." Jane tried a smile, but it turned out more of a scowl. Maura sighed.

"I understand. I will see you tomorrow." She felt Jane's eyes on her as she walked off and it took all of her self-control not to turn around. She let her eyes lock with Jane's as she stepped into the elevator. Sad, confused eyes stared back at her. The honey blonde let her eyes close when the elevators doors did the same.

She didn't want to make Jane feel bad about herself. But she needed this time to sort out her own feelings. Wanted to make sure that what she was feeling wasn't just because no one had taken an interest in her since Jane. She wanted to know for certain that what she was feeling for the other woman was real. She couldn't handle another relationship like the one she had with Garrett.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by torturously slow for Jane. Every time she wanted to go down to talk with Maura, she remembered that the other woman had asked her to give her some time. At first, she was okay with it. Well, maybe not 'okay' okay, but she was willing to give the Doctor her space. But as the end of the week drew nearer, she figured Maura had had enough time to figure out what she needed.

So as she was ready to head out, she decided to pay Maura a visit. Telling the guys she would see them on Monday, she took the elevator down to the morgue. She found Maura hunched over her desk, intently staring at something on her screen. She stopped for a moment, just staring at the other woman. The way her eyebrows drew together, the small crease in her forehead, the way she was slightly pouting. She looked utterly adorable.

She knocked twice, seeing Maura slowly tear herself away from her work. Her face relaxed slightly when she saw Jane, although the Detective could see a hint of fear in her eyes. Maybe it was too soon after all. But Jane didn't come down here to walk away again, she wanted to know when Maura would make up her mind.

"Jane." Her voice sounded surprised. "I wasn't expecting you." Jane frowned.

"Why? Because you told me to give you some space? Well I did. For a whole damn week. I want to know Maura." Maybe she wasn't fair, maybe it was too soon and her answer wouldn't please her, but Jane couldn't wait any longer. She was surprised she held out a week.

Maura sighed softly, closing her laptop. Folding her hands atop of it, she stared at Jane intently.

"I appreciate you giving me some time Jane. But I can't tell you." Jane felt anger start to rise inside of her. She stepped fully inside Maura's office, closing the door behind her.

"What do you mean you can't tell me? I waited a whole week for you to come over or to call and to let me know what you want, but you didn't. And now you're telling me you still don't know? I can't believe that Maura. It's simple. Either you like me or not. It's a simple answer." Maura's gaze quickly turned into a glare and Jane felt her anger dissipate slightly.

"Simple? You think that this is simple for me?" Maura rose from her chair, raising her voice ever so slightly. "I told you about my previous relationship Jane. My previous _marriage_. You think that after what I went through it is so easy for me to start anew with someone else? Who's to say that this will work out? That we won't find out after dating for a few months that we're not fit for each other after all. And what then? We'll still have to work together? We'll have to see each other every day. Do you think you can handle that Jane? Do you?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Jane hadn't thought of that. Truthfully, she hadn't really thought of anything other than being with Maura. Spending this week alone made her realize how much she already started to miss her presence. How much she was starting to rely on the honey blonde. But she wasn't backing down this easy.

"I don't care. All I want is to be with you Maura. And I thought you did too! I mean, you kept giving me these looks and you kept touching me every chance you got. Did I interpret that wrong? Or was this all just a game to you? Is it still just a game to you? Are you getting me back for acting like a bitch to you? Is that it? Cause if that's the case, then I would like to know and we can go back to just working with each other." She was the one glaring now. Maura just stared at her.

"You think this is a game? I can't believe you Jane! After everything I told you about my childhood and how I grew up, how other kids bullied me! Do you really think I would do the same to you?!" They were screaming now, Maura standing in front of her desk.

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me. You're the genius here. You know how many percent of kids that were bullied grow up to do the same! Just tell me Maura. Do you like me or not?! Cause I'm done waiting for you to figure it out! I'm not Garrett damnit!"

Maura's breath caught in her throat. No, she wasn't Garrett. She was different in every way. Jane had given her time when she asked for it. Garrett never did any of that. Instead, he kept sweet talking her until she forgot what it was that she needed to figure out and they always ended up in bed together. But here was Jane. The complete opposite of Garrett. Wanting to know if Maura had any feelings for her and if so if she was going to act on them. If not, she would let her be.

Her vision got blurry, tears streaming down her cheeks. She took a breath, something in between a sob and a hiccup. Strong arms wrapped around her.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm sorry." Maura gripped Jane's shirt tightly, sobbing into her shoulder. She was stupid. So stupid.

She didn't know how long she cried. Somewhere in between her cries Jane had guided them to the couch, whispering soft words, stroking her hair, her back. Eventually, the sobs subsided and Maura wiped her tears away.

"I'm sorry." Jane held up her hand.

"You don't have to apologize for anything. I was a jerk. An insensitive jerk." Maura laughed, earning a surprised look from the woman next to her. She reached out a hand, cupping Jane's cheek. The Detective leaned into the touch.

"No, you're not. A jerk, maybe. But you're not insensitive. You're one of the sweetest people I've ever met Jane. No, don't say anything." Maura shifted closer, effectively silencing Jane, her thumb caressing the skin underneath it. "You're right when you said that you aren't Garrett. You're the complete opposite. And I can't believe I didn't see it before. I was too busy thinking of ways of how bad it could end. Or how much we would be arguing. I was scared that I wouldn't feel what you would feel for me." Maura sighed, licking her lips as she continued. "I think I was too busy comparing my relationship with Garrett to what our relationship would be like and I completely forgot to think about you. To think about how different you are. And how different our relationship would be. I'm sorry Jane." Maura let her hand drop down, her head ducking under Jane's intense gaze. She didn't want to see the disappointment in them.

Jane reached out, lifting Maura's chin to look the other woman in the eyes. She smiled warmly at her.

"So, you're saying you want to try it with me?" Maura nodded shyly.

"If you'll still have me." Maura sounded scared, fragile. She looked exactly like the woman Jane never wanted to see again. She wanted the confident, slightly dorky Maura back. So she leaned in. And just before their lips touched, she whispered.

"I'm not that easy to get rid of."

Their second kiss (if you could count the first one) wasn't exactly what either of them expected. Jane could taste the salt of Maura's tears on her lips. The kiss was sloppy, wet. Not at all what they had dreamed of. They laughed when they pulled back.

"I can do better." Jane bit her lip at Maura's whisper. "Let me go get cleaned up?" The Detective nodded. Maura's lips touched Jane's cheek softly, before she quickly headed to the bathroom.

Jane had to literally shake herself out of her daze. Okay, the kiss hadn't been the best, but they would have more than enough time to practice. The thought brought a grin to her face. Maura wanted to try. She was giving Jane a chance. Jane's grin slowly slid off her face. Shit, how the hell was she supposed to impress a woman like Maura? She could feel her palms getting sweaty and she quickly jumped off the couch, wiping her palms on her jeans. Well, her right palm.

She wasn't going to mess this up. She couldn't, not after she finally had the chance to prove to Maura she was worth it. Taking a deep breath, she tried to get her nerves under control. Maura picked her. So she was going to show the other woman that she could be everything the honey blonde wanted and needed.

The moment Maura walked back into the room, everything just seemed to melt away. Jane's nerves disappeared as fast as they had come and she smiled widely at Maura, dimples on full display.

"Hey." She breathed, stepping closer to Maura.

"Hi." The Doctor stepped closer as well, now only a foot away from each other.

"So I was thinking." Jane started, trying not to fidget with her hands. "Maybe we could… or I could… take you out?" She cursed herself for not being better at this. But Maura's smile easily evaporated that thought.

"I would love to." Jane let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Great. Uhm, shall we go?" Maura chuckled softly, reaching out to take Jane's right hand.

"Stop being so nervous Jane. It's just me." Jane smiled, feeling a blush go to her cheeks.

"I know. But I want this to be perfect." Maura nodded, following Jane out the door. She made a mental note to cancel her massage.

"Where are we going?" Jane turned to look at Maura as the Doctor locked her office. When she turned around, she was greeted with Jane's grin, a mischievous look in her eyes.

"You'll have to wait and see." She winked, before making her way to the elevator. She herself wasn't even entirely too sure where they were going. She had to come up with something… fast.

"Jane! I don't like surprises." The Detectives laugh filled her ears, causing butterflies to return to her stomach. She couldn't help but smile, her heart warming.

* * *

**A/N: I'd like to let everyone know that Jane's a little nervous and insecure in this story. At least up until a certain point. I've just always read stories about Jane being scared and running off, but never really one that shows her vulnerability. And I'm not talking about the fact that she thinks she's not good enough. She just wants the best for Maura. Anyway, let me know what you guys think and next chapter will be up next Monday. Hope this'll last you til after the weekend. First date is up next :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Maura had tried to get Jane to tell her where they were going the moment they got into the car, but Jane kept her mouth shut, not giving one hint. The Doctor had even tried to get Jane to stop driving the car what with her broken wrist and all, but Jane had waved it away, saying that she had been driving for the past two weeks. Maura had huffed and crossed her arms, telling her that she wasn't going to cover for her were they to be stopped by the police. At which Jane had reacted by saying that she _was_ the police. Maura's plan failed miserably.

At the end of the car ride, Maura was so intrigued that she couldn't sit still. She kept bouncing her leg up and down and it was slowly starting to drive Jane crazy. And she thought _she_ was impatient. She pulled up at a small restaurant and watched Maura's expression. The honey blonde was frowning, probably wondering what they were doing here. She'd never been here before.

"Wait here a minute okay?" The frown turned to Jane who held back her laughter.

"Aren't we going in?" Jane shook her head, leaning in to peck Maura on the cheek.

"No, we're going somewhere else. I just need to pick something up." Before Maura could say anything else, Jane was out of the car and jogging up to the restaurant.

When the Detective came back five minutes later she quickly walked to the trunk, depositing what she had in her hands in there. She just hoped Maura hadn't seen.

"What did you put in the trunk?" She would've sighed in relief if she knew that that wouldn't make Maura even more curious.

"Just wait and see Maur. Geez, and you say I'm impatient. You can give me a run for my money." She started up the car and was about to pull away, when she felt Maura staring at her. Turning her head, she quirked an eyebrow.

"What?" The honey blonde slowly let a smile grace her features, causing Jane's breath to hitch.

"What did you just call me?" Jane frowned.

"Uhh, Maur. Why?" Maura's smile turned into a full blown beam, directed at the Detective.

"I like it." Jane's laugh filled the car, the sound filling Maura with warmth.

"Okay. Well… Maur. You okay to wait for another ten minutes?" The honey blonde huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her smile gave away the pleasure she was actually feeling right now.

Jane chuckled before pulling away, joining the other cars. As promised, Jane stopped the car ten minutes later. Again, she turned to look at Maura's expression, this time feelings slightly nervous. She had come up with this idea on the way to the car and she didn't have that much time to plan it all out.

"Why are we at the park?" Maura's question made Jane focus on the honey blonde.

"I thought we could have a picnic. If that's all right with you?" She was suddenly feeling very self-conscious, feeling the familiar sweaty palms return. Maura's eyes lit up in excitement.

"A picnic? I've never been on a picnic before." Jane's eyebrows almost disappeared in her hairline.

"What do you mean you've never been on a picnic? Everyone has been on a picnic. That's just… something you _have_ to do!" Maura simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Well okay. Then I'm going to give you your first picnic experience. Be prepared to be blown away." Maura's eyes twinkled.

"I can't wait."

Jane opened her door about to get out, when she saw Maura reach for her own door handle.

"No! Let me." Maura blinked a few times, watching Jane quickly get out of her car before jogging over to her side, opening the door for her. She blushed.

"Thank you." Jane grinned at her, fully displaying her dimples.

"Follow me."

After Jane had grabbed what turned out to be a basket from the trunk, she led Maura to a quiet place in the park, the sun shining down on them. There was a spot of shadow there too in case they got too hot. Setting the basket down, Jane laid down a blanket for them to sit on. Getting comfortable, Maura nodded at the basket

"What did you bring?" Jane grinned at her, wiggling her eyebrows. Maura laughed, slapping Jane's arm. "Jane!"

"Okay, okay." Her chuckle floated around them as Jane reached into the basket.

She pulled out several things. First she pulled out two wine glasses, then a bottle of wine, followed by two wrappings. Smiling at Maura, she reached into the basket one more time. A red rose came out, which she held out to the honey blonde.

"For you milady." Maura laughed as she took it, taking a whiff of the flower. "Thank you."

Jane made quick work of opening the bottle of wine – surprisingly not having too much trouble because of her wrist – pouring two glasses before she unwrapped their meal. "Tadaa!" Two burgers rested before them.

"A burger Jane?" The Detective's smile fell.

"I couldn't uhh… well…" She stammered, trying to find the right words. The Doctor smiled, reaching out a hand to silence Jane.

"It's fine Jane." The other woman frowned at Maura.

"Are you messing with me?" The honey blonde bit her lip, holding back her laughter.

"Maybe." Jane shook her head, a smile reappearing on her face.

"All right doctor. Dig in then." Jane had already taken two bites by the time she figured out that Maura was still staring at her burger. The Detective frowned as she chewed.

"Why aren't you eating?" Maura looked startled when she looked up at her.

"Uhm… you didn't bring any cutlery did you? Or napkins?" Jane swallowed her bite, carefully looking at Maura.

"No cutlery. Uhm, let me check for napkins." She dug through the basket, trying to find the item she was looking for. "Uhh, no napkins either. I think he forgot to put them in there." She glanced up at Maura, seeing the woman at a loss.

"But what if I spill something? I don't want to ruin my dress Jane." She saw the apprehension in Maura's eyes. Jane bit her lip.

What else could she use as a napkin? Jane glanced around them, but came up empty. Damnit, she should've thought about this! Glancing down at herself, she looked at her jacket. She could care less if the thing got dirty. Making quick work of discarding it, she folded it to lay across Maura's lap. The Doctor looked up at her, a shocked look in her eyes.

"Jane, I can't use your jacket as a napkin! What if it gets dirty?" Jane shrugged, already having picked up her burger.

"I don't care. Now come on… eat! Just grab the burger like I am… yeah, like that! And take a bite." Jane grinned when she saw Maura take a delicate bite, afraid to get any sauce on her.

"It's good right?" A serious expression adorned Maura's features as she thought this question over.

"I have to say that it is quite good yes. How did you get this done so quickly? Or were you that confident I would say yes?"

"I texted Gary when we were headed to the car." Jane took a sip of her wine before continuing. "When I was still in uniform his restaurant was robbed. I got the call and I handled it. Ever since then I only have to snap my fingers and he's ready to help me." Glancing over at the other woman, Jane bit her lip. "Just… know that our next date will be better. I promise."

Maura put down her burger, wiping at the corners of her mouth. She swallowed nervously, looking down at her hands. Jane noticed the sudden change in her mood and she put her own burger down, reaching out to lift Maura's chin.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I'm going too fast. I just want to get a chance at trying this one more time. Napkins and all." She tried to joke, but Maura didn't crack a smile. Instead, she just looked more nervous.

"This date is lovely Jane. It's not that at all. It's just…" She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I was actually wondering if I could take _you_ out on our next date." Jane blinked a few times, letting what Maura just said sink in.

"Uhh, are you sure…? I mean… I just assumed that…" Maura intervened.

"Assumed what?" Jane turned beet red, starting to pluck at her cast.

"Assumed that I would be the guy. Y'know, that I would be the one to take you out on dates."

"You shouldn't assume that Jane. We're both women." The Detective lifted her head slightly, smiling gently at Maura.

"Just… nowhere fancy all right? I don't like wearing dresses. I always get wedgies when I do."

"How do you get wedgies from wearing dresses? It seems highly unlikely that it would happen just because of that reason." Jane groaned, bouncing up and down.

"Maura!" The whiney tone made Maura smile, a laugh escaping her lips. "Just eat your burger all right?" With a roll of her eyes, Maura indulged back into her greasy meal.

"You don't need another chance to prove anything Jane. This is really nice." They shared a sweet smile. "Although I would've preferred more vegetables with a meal like this."

"There's green stuff on the burger! That counts as vegetables." Maura laughed, shaking her head at her date.

They spend over an hour enjoying each other's company. After they had finished their burger, Jane had pulled out dessert. Chocolate chip cookies. Maura had complained that this wasn't qualified as a dessert, but Jane had simply waved it away, saying that the Doctor could indulge into something 'unhealthy' now and then. Maura had complained at first, but after seeing Jane bite into a cookie, giving her a seductive look, looking damn sexy, Maura couldn't resist. So they started a game. Seducing each other while biting in a cookie or sipping on their wine. If anyone would've told her a month ago that she would go on a date and end up playing seductress, she would've laughed it away. But now that she was here, she wouldn't trade it for the world.

They watched as the sun set, their fingers touching as they laid next to each other on the blanket. Both of them kept glancing down at their hands, before sneaking a look at the other person. Neither of them made any indication to make that extra step. When the sun was barely visible, Maura took a breath and grabbed Jane's hand, entwining their fingers. She felt how sweaty Jane's palms were. It brought a smile to her face. At least she wasn't the only one feeling like a nervous wreck.

She felt Jane start to pull away. "Sorry about being so sweaty. Let me just…" Maura held on tighter.

"Don't. It's perfectly fine." Jane scoffed.

"You like holding hands with a sweaty person?" Maura shrugged.

"Maybe I do. As long as it's your sweat." The Detective laughed, grinning at the woman next to her.

"Too corny?"

"Just a little bit."

They shared another laugh, their eyes locking onto one another. It that moment, it was as if everything stopped around them. Nothing mattered anymore, not the forgotten napkins, not the sweaty palms. All that mattered was them. Slowly, they felt themselves being gravitated to each other. It felt like their first kiss all over again. The nerves, the heart pounding, the butterflies. Both of them felt like teenagers.

Tentatively their lips touched. It was soft, slow. They moved their lips against each other, familiarizing each other with the others lips. Neither of them made a move to deepen the kiss. They pulled away, resting their foreheads against each other.

"Can we have this be our first kiss?" Jane's voice held a hint of amusement. Maura laughed.

Leaning in, she claimed the Detective's lips once more, this time the kiss more forceful. Running her tongue over Jane's lower lip, she asked for entrance. Jane didn't hesitate to open her mouth, moaning when she felt Maura's tongue slide over her own.

_God she tastes so good._ Jane let Maura's tongue sweep through her mouth, letting herself get lost in what Maura was doing to her. When they pulled back, both were breathing heavily.

"That's what I call a kiss." Maura whispered, grinning at the woman in front of her.

Jane grinned right back. "That definitely qualifies as a kiss."

They looked at each other for a moment, studying the other's features. The darkness that slowly started to envelop them was starting to make it harder for them to see each other and Jane spoke up.

"I think we should go. It's getting dark." Maura nodded and the two make quick work of cleaning everything up.

They walked side by side back to Jane's car. It was then that she realized something.

"Is your car still at the precinct?" It seemed as if Maura had the same realization.

"Oh! I completely forgot."

"Do you want me to drive you back there?" Maura contemplated the thought. But when she looked at Jane, her mind was made up.

"No, it's fine. I can take a cab back here tomorrow."

"What! No. Just call me tomorrow and I'll come pick you up." Maura raised an eyebrow.

"Jane, you don't have to do that." The Detective shrugged.

"I want to."

"Well then. How can I say no?" The grin that Maura got in exchange was enough to make her insides squirm. But in a good way.

Jane held the door open for Maura again, being the perfect gentleman. Which she was scolded at by Maura who told her she was still a woman and there was no 'guy' here. Jane rolled her eyes, but felt a smile tug at her lips nonetheless. When she pulled into Maura's driveway, Jane walked the other woman to the door.

"Thank you for tonight Jane. I had a wonderful time." The Detective grinned, shuffling on her feet.

"I had a good time too." Maura smiled gently at her, before slowly leaning up, claiming Jane's lips with her own. The kiss was short, too short, but sweet and soft.

"Call me tomorrow okay? I'll come pick you up." Maura nodded as she bit her lip.

Unlocking her door, the Doctor opened it. She didn't take a step inside yet though. Instead, she turned back to Jane.

"I think I can do better." Jane frowned, not understanding what Maura meant.

Until her lips connected to hers and she felt Maura's body press against her. She couldn't contain the moan when she felt Maura pressed so delicately against her. She felt perfect against her. Slowly, Jane let her hands rest on Maura's waist, feeling the honey blondes tongue entering her mouth again. She let her own tongue explore, feeling Maura's arms come to rest on her shoulders. They slowly pulled away, Jane standing there grinning like a fool.

"I think I can definitely get used to this." Maura chuckled, pecking Jane on the lips one more time before stepping back.

"Goodnight Jane."

"Goodnight Maura." They smiled at each other as Maura closed the door.

Even ten minutes after Maura had closed the door, Jane was still standing there grinning like a fool. It was only when she saw the lights go out that she started moving. The whole ride home, there was only one thing on Jane's mind. Maura.


	8. Chapter 8

Jane showed up at Maura's doorstep the next morning, a white orchid in her hands. She was nervous and it showed. The Detective kept shuffling on her feet, her right hand delicately holding the flower. She looked down at it, wondering if she was doing right by bringing this along. But she just couldn't help herself. When she saw the flower, she immediately thought of Maura. She just had to get it.

Taking a deep breath, Jane tried to calm herself. She was only here to pick Maura up to take her to her car at the precinct, nothing else. Then why did this feel like a date? Shaking her head vigorously, Jane raised her hand to knock.

Maura opened five seconds later, a bright smile on her face.

"Jane! You're here." Jane smiled shyly, a blush adorning her cheeks.

"Told you I'd come." She saw Maura eye the orchid in her hand, a surprised look on her face. "Oh! Uhm, here. I saw this and I thought of you." She held out the orchid, awkwardly waiting for Maura to take it.

The honey blonde stared at the flower, tears shining in her eyes. Biting her lip to keep the tears from falling, Maura took the orchid. She smiled up at the other woman, stepping inside.

"Thank you. Please, come in." Jane did as she was told, taking the chance to look around.

She whistled in appreciation, seeing the many accessories surrounding her. Maura ducked her head in embarrassment. There were a lot of differences between their living arrangements, but Maura hadn't thought of it much. Not until now. When Jane was standing in the middle of the living room.

"It's nice Maur." The Doctor looked up from her flower, smiling softly at Jane.

"Thank you. I know it's very different than your apartment." Jane shook her head, effectively making Maura trail off.

"I was kind of expecting something like this. Although… maybe a bit more designer-y?"

"Excuse me?" Jane chuckled, walking over to where Maura was standing.

"I'm just…" The Detective trailed off, something on the ground catching her eye. She blinked a few times, to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating or anything.

"Jane?" Her eyes went back up to the Doctor.

"What the hell is that?" She kept her eyes focused on Maura as she pointed to the floor. Maura followed her finger, a smile lighting up her features when she saw what Jane was talking about.

"This is Bass! Come say hi." Jane's face was priceless.

Maura kneeled down next to Bass, petting his shell. The poor animal had retreated back into his shell the moment Jane walked up to them. Jane swallowed, frowning down at the creature Maura seemed so fond off. She slowly walked up to them, kneeling down in front of Maura, Bass in between them. Maura smiled encouragingly at her.

"Go ahead, you can pet him." Jane gave the honey blonde an incredulous look, before reaching out a tentative hand.

"You know this is totally weird right?" Jane's joke caused Maura to chuckle. The Detective softly petted Bass' shell, raising an eyebrow as she did so.

"Holy shit, it's like petting a dinosaur!" Jane's eyes lit up in excitement and she beamed at Maura. It was all it took for Maura to keep her mouth shut about Jane not having any idea of what petting a dinosaur would be like. Instead, she just gave the other woman an endearing smile.

The two straightened back up, Jane shoving her good hand in her jeans pocket. She looked up at Maura, not entirely sure what to say. It felt foreign, weird. Normally she never had any trouble striking up a conversation, but every time she was around Maura she felt like a love struck teenager all over again. Strange enough, it didn't bother her that much.

Maura went back to her orchid, looking around the room to find a fitting spot. She eventually chose to put it in front of her window, making sure the sunlight wouldn't be shining down on it. She smiled down at the flower, the meaning of it swarming through her head.

_The flower symbolism associated with the orchid is love, beauty, refinement, many children, thoughtfulness and mature charm._

It made her blush. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't hear Jane sneak up behind her. Only when she felt strong warm arms wrap around her waist, did she acknowledge Jane's presence. Leaning back into the Detective's embrace, she felt her breath on her neck.

"Do you like it?" Maura nodded, a smile on her lips. She placed her hands on Jane's, reveling in the feeling of safety that washed over her.

"I love it. Thank you." She felt Jane place a ghost of a kiss on the Doctor's cheek, before resting her head on Maura's shoulder.

"Do you uhh… want to go get your car?" Both women had been quiet for a moment, staring at the orchid and out the window. They didn't need to talk, they were content just standing there, Maura in Jane's embrace.

Maura looked up at Jane, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Jane's lips. She was about to pull away, when Jane tightened her hold on Maura, deepening the kiss. A moan escaped the honey blonde's throat and she turned in Jane's embrace, her arms wounding around Jane's neck.

"Do you want to stay here today? After we get my car I mean." Maura's question hung in the air for a few seconds, before Jane answered.

"I would like that." Maura's smile made every hair on her body stand on end.

* * *

Jane made quick work of driving to the precinct and dropping Maura off, before following her home again. She could feel the nerves start in her stomach as they got closer to Maura's house. She bounced her leg up and down, her eyes glued to the car in front of her. That was when her mind started asking questions.

Was this a date? And if so, what was Maura expecting? How long did Maura expect her to stay? Would she like her to stay the night? Would they be able to spend the night together?

Jane had never been with a woman before. She had never liked a woman before Maura. And the thought of spending the night with the other woman made her a nervous wreck. She knew her way around men, knew what they liked. But she had no idea what it was like to have sex with another woman. Would it be the same as when she was just by herself? Or would it be completely different? And what if Jane was so nervous and clumsy that she couldn't please Maura in the way she deserved?

The Detective groaned, gritting her teeth together. All of these questions wasn't making her feel confident about herself. She bit her lip when she pulled next to Maura in the driveway. She watched Maura get out, watched her smile her way and watched her walk up to the front door. Jane just sat there frozen in her seat. She couldn't back out the moment she stepped over the threshold.

Maura watched her from her doorstep, wondering what was taking Jane so long. She was just about to walk over to her car, when Jane stepped out. She immediately noticed the frightened look on the Detective's face. Jane tried to hide it by smiling at her, but Maura was no fool.

"Are you okay Jane?" The smile faltered slightly, an apprehensive look entering Jane's eyes.

"Yeah, why?" Maura frowned. It was obvious Jane was lying. But why was she? Had she gone too far when she asked Jane to spend the day together at her place? The Detective had said yes hadn't she? So what had suddenly changed?

"Jane, I can tell you're lying. What is going on?" Jane's mouth dropped open, a shocked look in her eyes.

"Wh-What are you talking about? Why would I be lying?" Maura shrugged.

"I don't know. Did I do something? Are we moving too fast? Because you don't have to come in if you don't want to. I- If you feel pressured please know that that isn't my intention." Jane swallowed slowly. Maura had seen right through her lies.

She sighed, running her good hand through her hair.

"I've never done this before Maur." The confession caught Maura completely of guard and it took the other woman a few seconds to reply.

"What do you mean?"

"I've never dated a woman before."

Realization slapped Maura in the face and the honey blonde couldn't help but laugh. Jane frowned, wondering what was so funny.

"Oh Jane." It took Maura less than five seconds to embrace Jane and planting a sweet kiss on her lips. "Neither have I."

The nerves that had been building up the entire time seemed to disappear in an instant. Wrapping her arms around Maura, Jane rested her forehead against the honey blonde's.

"I'm sorry. I just… feel so… I feel like a teenager whenever I'm around you." Jane blushed a deep crimson as she said this. She had no idea why she was saying this to Maura, but she felt as if she could tell her anything.

"Is that a good thing?" Maura's eyes betrayed her confusion and in that moment she looked utterly adorable. Jane laughed silently.

"Yes. It means that I feel giddy and happy when I'm around you." Maura bit her lip. She didn't fight the blush that crept onto her neck.

"Let's go inside." Jane wordlessly let Maura guide her inside. They settled on the couch, some space between them.

They weren't sure what was appropriate, how close they could sit to each other. It definitely felt like the beginning of a new relationship. And it made Jane feel normal. Made her forget about everything that happened the last few weeks. It caused Jane to laugh softly, shaking her head. Maura cocked an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm just thinking of everything that happened these last few weeks. How we met and how I acted. God, I'm so sorry about that Maura. I was a plain bitch. I should never have treated you that way." What had started out as amusing, soon turned into sorrow.

Maura reached out a hand, shuffling closer to Jane in the process. "You don't have to be sorry Jane. I was the one who ran you over in the first place. You had every right to be angry with me. Maybe we wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't been." Jane looked up through her eyelashes, brown eyes filled with guilt.

"Still, I gave you a hard time."

"It's fine Jane, really. Don't-"

Jane interjected, amusement in her eyes. "Can you just let me apologize!?" Maura nodded, biting her lip. "Sorry." Jane laughed, loudly.

"I'm trying to apologize here and you're saying sorry?" Maura opened her mouth, but quickly closed it, smiling at Jane.

"So. I'm sorry for everything I did Maura. Especially after everything you went through. Can you forgive me?"

"Jane, I already told you, you didn't have to apologize." At Jane's look. "Yes, I forgive you." Jane squeezed the hand that was still holding hers, smiling gently at the other woman.

She only got worried when she saw Maura look down at her hands, a troubled look in her eyes. "Hey, everything okay?" Jane tried to catch Maura's eyes, but the honey blonde wouldn't let her.

"I have to tell you something Jane. I haven't been completely honest about the reason for my divorce and moving here." Jane shook her head, not understanding.

"What are you talking about?" Then to try and lighten the mood. "You didn't kill anyone did you?" Apparently this was the wrong thing to say. Maura burst into tears, burying her face in her hands. Jane was at a loss.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a douche. I was just kidding." Jane rubbed circles on Maura's back, trying to get the other woman to calm down. It seemed to work somewhat. Maura wiped at her eyes, trying to get herself under control.

"It's not your fault Jane." She took a deep breath, keeping her eyes cast downwards. She was going to tell Jane everything. And hopefully the Detective wouldn't rush off. Although she wouldn't blame her if she did either. "I told you that I wasn't in love with Garrett, but that I stayed with him because of my mother." Jane nodded, unseen by Maura. "Mom fell in love with him the moment I introduced him. She told me he was the perfect guy for me and exactly the person she had always envisioned for me. They got along so well and I guess it kind of brought me and mom together as well. Garrett would come over to have dinner with us and it was the first time that I truly spend time with my mother." Jane swallowed the tears that were threatening to spill over.

"When he proposed I accepted and mom was over the moon. I remember that I had never seen her so happy. And we spend so much time together. We went looking for a dress together, she helped us make preparations for the wedding. It was all so nice. I finally felt what it was like to have a mother who cared and who was there." Maura took a deep breath before continuing. Jane could see she was having a hard time keeping her composure.

"So when it turned out I was pregnant" Jane contained a gasp. "I got to see a whole new side of my mom. She was so happy she was going to be a grandmother. And I stopped caring about the fact that I wasn't in love with Garrett, that I wasn't happy with him. I always wanted a child and that wish could finally come true. The months passed so quickly. There were never any complications and I was starting to feel something resembling happiness. But a few weeks before I was due something went wrong. Normally I could always feel him kick, he always let me know he was there. But I hadn't felt him in a couple of days. It didn't alarm me right away. It wasn't a rare occurrence. But maybe I should've done something sooner." Tears were streaming down Maura's face continuously. Her voice however, held this steadiness that caused chills to run all over Jane's body.

"I had to give birth to a dead baby." Jane's eyes widened in horror, the tears that she had been holding back all this time falling. Maura chuckled, the sound unnatural to Jane's ears. "And do you know what Garrett told me? That we could always try again. I was still in the hospital and he was already talking about trying again. That was the last straw. I filed for a divorce and I had to get away from him as far as possible."

It was quiet around them, the only sound being the sobs emitting from both of them. Jane couldn't take it any longer and threw her arms around Maura, pulling the distraught woman into her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Jane shook her head, pressing kisses in Maura's hair.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad you told me." Maura broke down completely then, clinging to Jane as if her life depended on it.

Jane felt a myriad of things. Sadness for Maura's loss. Anger for Garrett acting like a complete asshole. But most of all, she felt guilty. She knew she didn't know Maura when it happened, but there was a part of her that felt guilty for not having protected her. And right now, she felt guilty for not being the best in comforting people. She didn't know how to handle emotions. She saw them every day at work. But she didn't have to see those people outside of it ever again. But Maura was counting on her. And she wanted to make her feel better, to see that smile again, hear that laugh again.

Neither of them were sure how long they stayed in the same position, but Jane looked down at Maura when she saw the sun setting outside. The honey blonde had her eyes open, just staring in front of her, her eyes spaced out. Tucking a stray hair behind Maura's ear, Jane whispered.

"You feeling a bit better?" It took Maura a full minute to comprehend that someone was talking to her.

Her eyes traveled upwards in slow motion, focusing on Jane. She blinked a few times, suddenly remembering that she wasn't alone. Taking a deep breath, she sat up.

"No. But I'm glad I told you." Jane swallowed back the tears. The hurt in Maura's voice was so deep, it cut right through her heart.

"How about you go get cleaned up and I'll make us something to eat?" Maura seemed to hesitate at first, but at Jane's gentle warm smile, she stood up and left the room.

Jane stared after her, wondering how this woman coped with something like this. She wasn't sure if she could.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: We're moving into M territory now. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Maura emerged twenty minutes later, make-up free and wearing yoga pants with a warm comfy sweater. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her eyes were still red from crying, but at least the tears had subsided. She carefully sat down at the kitchen island, keeping her eyes down the whole time.

"I uhh, made us some soup. It's all I could do with this thing still attached to me like a parasite. Or my Ma. Both work." She smiled at her joke, hoping to get some sort of reaction from Maura. But all the other woman did was nod, still not making eye contact with Jane.

The Detective's smile fell, a frown overtaking her features. There had to be something she could do to make Maura feel better. Turning back to her soup, she stirred with her good hand, her mind trying to come up with something she could do for Maura. But it stayed blank. She had no idea what the other woman was going through.

If it were something as simple as a break up, she would grab ice cream, put on a movie, make sure that there were enough tissues and spend the evening wallowing. But this wasn't simple. This wouldn't just go away after some tears and ice cream. This would stay with her for the rest of her life. Jane involuntarily shuddered.

"You don't have to stay." Maura's voice brought her back from the jumbled thing called her brain and she turned around.

"I want to." Jane's voice was firm, there was no place for arguing. Maura nodded, fidgeting with her hands.

"Soup will be ready soon. Is there anything I can do for you? Anything I can get you?" Only now did Maura look up. Jane looked directly into sad, tired eyes. Eyes that were full of emotion. That told Jane exactly how Maura was feeling. There were no walls, no façades. This was Maura. The real Maura.

Reaching over the island, Jane grabbed Maura's hand, tracing a pattern with her thumb. She waited for Maura to say something.

"Maybe a glass of wine." The Detective nodded, turning around to grab a glass. At least, she would've if she knew where Maura kept them.

"Uhm, where do you keep the wine glasses?" The question didn't hold any meaning, but that didn't stop Maura from smiling slightly, remembering when she came over to cook for Jane for the first time. Pointing at one of the many cabinets, she watched Jane grab two glasses.

She didn't say anything when Jane poured them both a vast amount of wine. Taking a sip, she felt the familiar fluid make its way down her throat. She sighed contently. She was glad Jane was here. At least she wasn't alone.

They remained silent, sipping their wine. It was only when Jane grabbed two bowls to pour the soup in that Maura spoke up again.

"You're the first person I told." She eagerly dug into the soup, only now just realizing how hungry she was. They hadn't eaten anything since this morning.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." Jane's reply made Maura look up at her. She hadn't thought of that. She knew Jane wasn't the kind of person to kiss and tell. Smiling softly, she grabbed a piece of bread that laid in between the two women.

They ate silently, both happy to get something in their stomachs. When they finished, Maura cleared the table, Jane trying her best to help Maura dry the dishes. It was at times like these that she hated the cast. Well, she hated it every single second of every single day, but it intensified with moments like these.

"Damn cast." The curse made Maura look up from putting away the last dishes. Jane was pouting down at her wrist, her eyebrows drawn together.

Slowly she stepped forward, stopping just short of Jane. She reached out, taking Jane's wrist in her hand, bringing her hand up to her face. She kissed each finger, finishing with a kiss to the inside of Jane's palm.

"I'm sorry." Jane shook her head, pulling Maura closer to her.

"I thought we established that we were both sorry." Maura smiled shyly, ducking her head.

Jane would have none of it. Lifting Maura's chin with her index finger, she pressed a soft sweet kiss to her lips. When they pulled back, Jane saw uncertainty in Maura's eyes.

"Stay with me tonight?" Jane didn't hesitate for a second, nodding her agreement. If she had been asked this question this morning she probably would've said no, too scared to say yes, but things were different now. Maura needed her. And she wasn't going to say no.

They stayed in each other's embrace for a while longer, reveling in the feeling of the other woman. Jane pressed a kiss to Maura's head every now and then, taking in the smell that was just Maura. Jane eventually broke the comforting silence.

"Do you want to go to bed or watch a movie or something?" Maura glanced at the clock, not removing her head from Jane's chest. It was only seven.

"We could watch a movie. It's still early." Jane nodded, reluctantly pulling away. She quickly grabbed a hold of Maura's hand, not ready to let go completely. The honey blonde smiled up at her. She was looking better, but Jane could still see the struggle going on inside of her.

Squeezing the hand she was holding, she guided them both to the couch. Maura sat down, tucking her legs underneath her. Jane kept standing, her hand still holding Maura's. She was torn. She knew she had to walk the extra three feet to pick out a movie, but she didn't want to let go of Maura either. Maura chuckled, seeing Jane glare at the DVD's across the room. If only they were closer.

"You're going to need your hand to pick out a movie Jane." The Detective sighed, knowing that Maura was right.

Letting go of Maura's hand, Jane all but dashed across the room, grabbed the top DVD, popped it in and returned next to Maura, pulling the other woman into her. When Maura snuggled closer to her, she found out that holding the Doctor was like an addiction. She smiled, resting her head on top of Maura's.

It took Maura all of her self-control not to burst into laughter when she saw that the Detective had left the remote on the DVD player. She waited for Jane to figure it out. It took her a full minute.

"Motherfucker!" Maura couldn't contain the laughter that flowed from her lips.

"Maura it's not funny!" The pout on Jane's face caused Maura to laugh harder, holding her side as she doubled over.

Jane rolled her eyes, not fighting the smile that made its way onto her face. She got up dramatically, grabbed the remote and stopped just short of sitting down. Maura looked up at her, biting her lip to keep her from laughing. Jane narrowed her eyes at the other woman, carefully setting down the remote.

"You think laughing at me is funny?" Maura opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was another laugh.

"That's it. You've done it!" Maura squealed when Jane jumped on top of her, effectively pinning her down. "You're gonna wish you hadn't laughed at me." Maura – who was still chuckling – raised her eyebrows.

"Really? And how is that?" The mischievous look that appeared in Jane's eyes and the smirk told Maura she might've been right. Jane raised her hands wiggling her fingers.

"Because… I'm going to tickle you to death!" Maura just had enough time to let out a "No!" before Jane started her assault.

Laughter filled Jane's ears and she watched Maura struggle underneath her, trying to get out of her grasp. Jane held on though, her fingers moving over Maura's side quickly. After a minute she stopped, leaning in close to Maura.

"Do you give up?" Maura was panting heavily.

"Y-Yes, I give up." Jane smirked in victory.

"That'll teach you to laugh at me next time." Maura smiled devilishly. Jane raised an eyebrow.

"Really? How do you know I didn't plan this all along? I have you right where I want you Detective." Jane's eyes filled with confusion. What the hell was she talking about?

But before she had time to question Maura, she felt lips on hers. She moaned deeply when Maura deepened the kiss, sneaking her hands under Jane's shirt. She moved them up and down her back, pulling her flush on top of her. The kiss was different than any they shared before. This one was more forceful, less shy. Maura brought up her leg, sliding it in between Jane's.

The Detective breathed heavily, feeling Maura's kisses go down her neck. Her hips started moving on their own, and she moaned at the feeling it was giving her.

"Jesus Maura." It was Maura's turn to grin. Leaning up, she claimed Jane's lips once more, her hands moving down to cup Jane's ass. Jane started moving faster, burying her face in Maura's neck. She was getting close.

"Let go baby." Maura kissed Jane's neck softly, holding the other woman tightly.

"Maur I- Fuck!" Jane's breaths were short and fast as she collapsed on top of the other woman. Maura held her as she came down from her high. Running her hand through Jane's tresses, she smiled.

"This wasn't what I planned." Maura laughed at Jane's mumbled voice.

"What did you plan?" She sounded flirtatious, daring. Jane removed her head from its spot in Maura's neck, looking up at the other woman.

"Just… being there for you. Jesus Maura. That was… intense." Jane shook her head, still not believing what had just happened. And how fast it happened. Never had she come this fast. And Maura hadn't even been touching her! Christ, this was embarrassing.

"Sorry." She ran a hand over her face, through her hair. She didn't dare meet Maura's eyes.

"What for?" Maura cupped Jane's cheek, watching as her eyes fluttered closed.

"I didn't… I mean…" She opened her eyes. She looked ten years younger. "I didn't mean too… y'know." Jane sat up, waving her right hand around. Maura still looked confused. Jane bit her lip.

"You didn't even touch me Maura!" Realization dawned on Maura. She sat up, watching Jane sit down next to her, enough space in between them. She sighed softly.

"You don't have to be embarrassed Jane." The Detective shook her head. Maura moved forward, slinging her leg over Jane, straddling her. This made Jane look up at her, her hands moving to Maura's hips like it was completely normal.

"I acted like a sixteen year old boy who couldn't control himself." Maura shrugged, moving on Jane's lap. The Detective had trouble biting back a moan.

"Jane. I don't care. I find it sweet." Jane raised her eyebrows.

"You find me acting like a horny teenager sweet?" Jane laughed softly. "You're really weird you know that." Maura smiled down at her.

"Good weird or bad weird?"

"Definitely good weird." This time Jane initiated the kiss, slipping her tongue into Maura's mouth. _She always tastes so sweet._ Jane's hand slipped under Maura's sweater, moving up her back. She pulled back, smirking at the honey blonde.

"No bra?" Maura smirked, leaning close to Jane's ear.

"Not the only thing that's missing." Jane swallowed thickly, feeling another rush of arousal hit her hard.

"Really?" She was barely able to formulate the word. Maura nodded.

"You're welcome to check for yourself." Jane's heart was hammering so loud she was sure it could burst out of her chest any second. She breathed hard as she moved her hand down. Maybe that was why she changed out of her jeans. No zipper for Jane to struggle with.

Jane slowly slipped her hand under Maura's waistband, stopping there. Feeling Maura rock her hips, she bit her lip before moving further. _Fuck._ She really wasn't wearing any underwear.

Both of them moaned when Jane's fingers reached Maura's wetness. The Detective didn't dare move her hand.

"Jane. Please." Maura's pleads urged her on, suddenly giving her a boost of confidence.

She started up a rhythm, moving slow but steady. Maura was quick to match Jane's strokes. The honey blonde's moans made Jane feel something she never had before and without a second though, she slipped a finger inside Maura. She moaned at the feeling.

"God, you're so wet." Maura had her head buried in Jane's neck and Jane had full access to Maura's. Urged on by Maura's sounds, she moved faster, attaching her lips to Maura's neck. She sucked, nibbled before moving to her earlobe.

"Come for me Maura." She slipped her finger out of Maura completely, adding a second finger as she entered her again, curling them deep inside of her. Maura screamed out her release.

Jane held her as she came down, her hand quickly retreating. Looking down at her fingers, she saw they were coated with Maura's juices. She swallowed as the sudden urge to taste them overwhelmed her and she brought her fingers up to her lips, licking them clean.

Unbeknownst to Jane, Maura was watching the whole thing. It was the sexiest thing she had ever seen. Growling deep in her throat, she got off Jane's lap and grabbed the hand Jane had just licked clean.

"Bedroom. Now."


	10. Chapter 10

Jane breathed in deep as she slowly awakened from her slumber. She groaned softly, feeling sore all over. There was a moment where she wondered what happened to her, but as her eyes fluttered open and she came face to face with Maura those thoughts left her instantly. A smile tugged at her lips, memories of last night flooding back. Letting her eyes fall closed again, she reveled in the feeling of Maura pressed up against her.

Last night was amazing. And she had no idea how great it was to sleep with another woman. If she had known it would've been this amazing and satisfying, she would've forgotten about men long ago. And she also had no idea how agile Maura was. Seriously, the woman showed her things she had no idea existed. Sighing contently, Jane felt the honey blonde stir in her arms.

"Morning beautiful." Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, Jane watched Maura's eyes flutter open. She smiled up at her sleepily, before snuggling back into Jane's arms.

"Hmm, morning. How'd you sleep?" The Detective had never heard anything more adorable than Maura's sleep laced voice.

"Like a baby. You?" Maura mumbled something incoherent, before a soft snore filled Jane's ears. The Detective's eyebrows shot up into her hairline and she bit her lip to stop herself form bursting out laughing.

_Did she seriously just fall asleep?_ Jane waited a few minutes longer, but when Maura's snores still filled the room, she quietly snuck out from underneath her. Breathing a sigh of relief when Maura grabbed her abandoned pillow and continued sleeping, Jane retreated to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Smelling like daisies, Jane walked back into Maura's bedroom fifteen minutes later. She was dressed almost completely, except for her pants, which she couldn't get on and found Maura still peacefully asleep. Jane smiled softly.

_Yesterday was more draining than it might've looked._ Taking another minute to look at the woman she made love to last night – the thought immediately brightening her features – Jane quietly tiptoed out of the room, shutting it softly.

Making her way to the kitchen she decided making a start on breakfast wasn't a bad idea. Thankful for having already cooked them something last night, Jane was able to find everything pretty quickly. Opting for making some French toast and scrambled eggs with bacon, Jane got to work.

At least this was something she was able to do half decently with a cast on. Cutting up some bread proved to be the hardest task, but Jane was glad with the result she ended up with.

Humming to herself, she failed to notice the pitter patter of footsteps approaching her. Feeling two arms go around her waist, she looked over her shoulder to see an awake Maura smiling up at her.

"Morning." Jane chuckled softly.

"Morning… again." Maura nuzzled Jane's neck, stopping momentarily to look up at the other woman.

"What are you talking about? I haven't talked to you today." Jane raised an eyebrow, patting Maura's hands. Getting what Jane was trying to say, Maura stepped back to let Jane plate up.

"Yeah you did. You asked me how I slept and when I asked you, your answer was snoring." Maura scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. It was only then that Jane noticed she was wearing the Detective's shirt from the day before. She smiled, the sight warming her heart.

"I don't snore." This time, Jane didn't hold back her laughter. Discarding the dirty dishes in the sink, Jane motioned for Maura to sit as she set their plates on the island.

"Yes you do. And quite adorably if I might add." Emphasizing her point, Jane kissed Maura on the top of her head, snuck her arms around her waist and made a soft snoring sound.

"Jane!" The Detective laughed, sitting down next to her offended Doctor.

_My doctor. Kind of has a nice ring to it._

"Oh come on babe. Everyone snores. Except for me." Digging into her eggs, she smiled brightly at Maura.

The honey blonde rolled her eyes before taking a hesitant bite herself. Jane raised her eyebrow.

"Scared I'll poison you? Take advantage of you later?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, leaning in to nibble on Maura's ear.

The other woman swatted her away, a smile on her lips.

"Jane! I've turned you into a monster."

"A very _sexy_ monster." They shared a short laugh.

"And no, I'm not afraid you're going to poison me. I just wasn't sure you didn't burn anything." Jane stopped mid-chew, staring at the other woman for a moment.

"What?" Maura frowned, watching as a couple of crumbles of French toast left Jane's mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full. And I didn't mean to sound offending. I just meant that it might not have been easy with your wrist. But it's perfect." Leaning in, Maura claimed Jane's lips.

"Hmm, you're lucky you're such a good kisser." Maura smirked, resuming her breakfast. The two bantered all the way through breakfast, sneaking kisses in here and now. Making quick work of clearing the table, Maura kissed Jane before telling her she'd be taking a shower. Jane watched her go, torn between following her and doing the dishes.

Reasoning with herself that she would probably drop a plate or two, she quickly dashed after Maura. The Doctor had just turned on the water and stepped in, when the door opened. Turning around, she watched Jane quickly discard her shirt and underwear, making quick work of pulling a plastic bag over her cast, before stepping in, encircling Maura.

"I thought you already took a shower?" Maura's eyes told her that she didn't matter at all and Jane smiled down at her shrugging.

"I didn't scrub good enough."

"Well enough."

"Are you seriously giving me grammar lessons right now? Cause I'd rather you teach me some biology." Maura laughed, throwing her head back.

"Oh really?" Twinkling eyes stared back at her as she leaned and to capture Jane's lips.

Bringing her lips up to the Detective's ear, she smirked. "I guess we'd better get started then."

* * *

Both women stepped out of the shower an hour later, clean and satisfied. Walking into the kitchen, Maura went to clean the dishes immediately. Jane groaned, leaning her head back.

"Maura! We can do that later. Come on, sit down with me." But Maura kept going, filling the sink with water.

"I'd rather do it now Jane. I don't like it when there are dirty dishes around. Besides, it'll only take a minute." She turned to look over her shoulder and smirked. "Why don't you get us a snack and set up that movie we were supposed to watch last night." The same smirk appeared on Jane's face, remembering what happened.

"Fine. But know that what happened last night is not going to happen now." Maura laughed softly.

"I think I would be able to easily change your mind. But I won't." With a shrug of her shoulders, she started scrubbing the plates, leaving Jane to look for some popcorn.

Shouting victory when she found it, she made quick work to put it in the microwave and get them something to drink. Setting everything down on the coffee table, she grabbed the remote for the DVD player. It was still on and Jane smiled, shaking her head. Maura had all but dragged her to her bedroom. Jane barely had enough time to ask why Maura was so fired up, before the Doctor had pushed her on the bed and stripped them both. Before she had kissed her, she whispered that watching her lick her fingers clean was the most erotic thing she had ever seen and she was going to repay the favor. That was the last thing before a feeling of pure bliss had overcome Jane and everything else was forgotten.

"Ready?" Jane looked up, startled out of her thoughts. Nodding, she patted the spot right next to her. Maura sat down, snuggling into Jane when the Detective leaned back.

Jane had made sure the popcorn was on her lap, diving in to grab a handful. She watched the opening credits intently, having no idea what movie she had grabbed. She hadn't even bothered to check before pressing play either. When she saw monkeys, she groaned.

"We're watching a documentary about monkeys?" She felt Maura shake her head.

"No, we're watching a documentary about the mating behavior of primates." Jane was quiet for a moment.

"Maura." She started, looking down at the woman. "If you want to watch porn you can just tell me. I think I can find something that's way more suitable for us." She tried to look serious, but the amusement in her eyes and the smile on her face gave her away.

Maura sighed, shaking her head at the Detective. "You're not funny Jane." Jane laughed.

"I always thought I was. I was told so various times too. Huh, that's strange." A slap to her thigh, made her chuckle. "I'm just kidding. But are you sure you want to watch this?" Maura glanced up at her.

"If you're not comfortable with this Jane you can pick a different movie." There was a hint of amusement in Maura's voice.

"It's not that I'm uncomfortable with it! It's just… I thought you'd want to watch a romantic movie or something. Y'know. Something girlie." Jane frowned at the screen when a certain scene showed something she wished she'd never see. "Okay, maybe I am a bit uncomfortable with it. But only because of the fact that there had to people there to film it! Poor monkeys."

"And how is this different to porn?" Jane opened her mouth to retort, but found that she didn't have an answer. Huffing, she glared down at Maura.

The honey blonde smiled, before getting off the couch. She walked over to the stack of DVD's, looking for one in particular. Or at least, that's what Jane thought. She kept discarding DVD after DVD, frowning a few times.

Eventually, Maura brightened up and went over to the DVD player to pop a different one in. Settling back against Jane, she smiled up at the other woman.

"You're going to like this movie." Jane raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet, watching in silence as the title came on. _Imagine me & you._

* * *

"So you've watched the entire thing already?" Jane stretched, letting out a long yawn.

"No, I've seen the first thirty minutes. I was interrupted and I never had the chance to finish it. Did you like it?" She watched as Jane pondered the question over, cocking her head from side to side

"Yeah. I guess so. It was actually like all the other romantic comedies, but y'know, with two women." Maura smiled softly, leaning in to place a kiss on Jane's cheek.

Jane turned her head, ready to show Maura what a real kiss was, when her phone rang. She groaned as she checked the screen. "It's my Ma."

"You should take it. It might be important." Jane shook her head at Maura.

"If you think setting me up with a guy is important." Sighing, she pressed the 'answer' button.

"Hey Ma."

"_Don't you hey Ma me. Why aren't you home?"_ Jane glanced over at Maura, smiling apologetically.

"I'm over at Maura's Ma. What are you doing at my place?"

"_Oh, are you finally forgiving that sweet kind woman? It's about time. The way you were acting was ridiculous. Shameful even!" _

"Ma! Just tell me why you're calling me." She heard her mother sigh, before a much more serious tone filled her ear.

"_I need a place to stay Janie."_ Jane frowned.

"What do you mean? You have your own apartment."

"_I _had_ my own apartment. Mr. Hodge kicked me out." _

"Why the hell did he kick you out!? Do you need me to go over there? I'll make him sorry for kicking you out." Jane was already up, gathering her car keys when her mother's voice stopped her.

"_Jane, please don't… It's my fault Janie. I couldn't pay the rent."_ Jane stood frozen for a moment, processing this information.

"What do you mean you couldn't pay the rent? You have your job at the café."

"_It's not enough to cover the rent."_ Jane's expression softened and she sat back down next to Maura. The other woman had been concerned, only hearing Jane's side of the conversation.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've helped out."

"_I appreciate it honey, but you have enough to worry about without your mother asking for money. Can I just stay with you for a while? Until I find something else?"_

Jane couldn't say no. After all, her mother never really asked for anything. Normally she would just barge in, tell her that she'd be staying with her and there would be no room for arguing. Jane swallowed, sighing softly.

"Of course Ma. I'll be home soon okay? Just let yourself in."

"_Thank you sweetie. I'm sorry." _Jane shook her head, but remembered that Angela couldn't see her.

"No problem. I'll see you later." Hanging up, she turned towards Maura.

"Everything okay?" Running a hand through her hair, Jane shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Ma got kicked out because she couldn't pay rent and she's going to be staying with me for a while. I can't believe she wouldn't tell me any of this sooner." Maura reached out a hand, trying to calm Jane down.

"I haven't known your mother for that long Jane, but I've seen that she's a very independent woman. I don't think she asks for a lot. She might think that asking you for help is a weakness."

"But I'm her daughter! She can ask me anything!" Maura smiled softly.

"Do you ask her for help when you need it?" Jane frowned.

"What do you mean? That's different!" Maura shook her head.

"No it's not. I've learned by now that the Rizzoli family is very stubborn. You don't ask for help quickly, or for anything for that matter. That's why I'm thankful you let me help you." Jane looked down at Maura's hand, covering it with her own. Smiling up at Maura, she pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Me too." Leaning back, the two looked at each other for a moment. Jane broke the silence. "And I'm sorry, but I have to go. Ma is expecting me." Maura nodded understanding in her eyes.

"Of course! Go." Jane gathered her things and Maura walked her to the door. Opening it, Jane hesitated for a minute.

"I'll call you tonight." Maura nodded, leaning up to steal a kiss.

She watched until Jane was out of sight before she closed the door. Sighing softly, she looked over at Bass.

"What do you think Bass? Do you like her?" All the tortoise did was stare at her, unmoving. Maura laughed, shaking her head. Why did she even expect an answer? "Well, I do."


	11. Chapter 11

It had been a few days since Angela moved in with Jane and to say that the Detective was getting annoyed was an understatement. She didn't mind helping her mother out, on the contrary, but she did mind when her mother would barge into her room at 6 in the morning to grab her dirty laundry. And every time she would step into her room she would complain that 'the place was a pigsty' and that there was 'no wonder she didn't have a man yet.' Jane would merely roll her eyes before turning over, her mind filling with a certain honey blonde. She didn't need a man, because she had a woman.

And Jane had apparently forgotten that her mother also worked at the same place as she did, so she barely had any time without the woman. Which brought her to where she was now, getting coffee with her mother nagging her about going grocery shopping.

"Jane! Are you even listening to me?" The Detective sighed, looking up from pouring sugar in her coffee.

"You've been telling me these things since I was eighteen Ma. I thought by now you learned I never really listen." Angela glared at her daughter. Jane momentarily halted her movements, vaguely wondering if she should've rephrased that. Shrugging, she continued, trying to ignore her mother.

"Oh Maura dear! You look lovely today." Jane's eyes had immediately shot up when she heard her mother say Maura's name. She smiled as she took in the sight of the other woman, wearing a simple black dress with matching heels. Maura smiled brightly at Angela.

"Thank you Angela. You look wonderful yourself." Angela beamed, waving embarrassingly with the cloth she was holding.

"Why thank you." Turning an eye to her daughter, Angela scowled. "See Jane! That's the way to talk to people. Not ignoring them and hoping they go away. Maura, I will get you your usual." As Angela left, Maura turned a questioning look Jane's way, a small smile on her face.

Setting down the sugar, Jane rolled her eyes. "That woman is slowly driving me insane. I've past the crazy point by now. Seriously, I haven't had a day to myself since she moved in!" Maura bit back a laugh.

"She's your mother Jane." The Detective just stared at her for a moment, her face unreadable.

"So? Does that give her a pass to barge into my room in the middle of the night and tell me to clean up? Hello! I have this thing!" Jane pointed at her cast. "How can I do anything with this thing on?"

"You don't need two hands to pick up a pair of your jeans Jane." Jane's face went from incredulous to annoyed with the speed of lighting and Maura quickly turned towards Angela to keep herself from laughing.

"Thank you Angela." She turned to Jane. "Walk me to the elevator?" Jane nodded, keeping one eye on her mother who seemed to be totally smitten with Maura.

Jane sighed as she watched Maura press the button for the both of them. Taking a sip from her coffee, she knew that she was being hard on her mother. The woman didn't have a place to stay and Jane wasn't really making staying with her any better. Maura's voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"You can always stay with me for a couple of days. If you really want to get away from your mother." Jane smiled appreciatively at the honey blonde.

"Thanks. Maybe I will. I don't think I'm the only one going crazy. I mean, my place is pretty much a pigsty." She laughed softly, soon followed by Maura.

"Just don't think you can turn my place upside down." Maura winked at the Detective, before stepping into the elevator. Jane rolled her eyes, a smile on her face.

"Then you don't know me." She watched as the doors were closing, hearing Maura's voice just before they closed.

"Maybe I have to get to know you then." Jane's chuckle floated around her.

"Maybe you do."

* * *

Jane groaned, turning off her computer. The day had been long, too long. And her mother once again showed up to bring her lunch. Even though she always brought something for Frost and Korsak as well, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed every time her mother entered the bull pen. She was glad the day was over.

Gathering her things, the sound of heels hitting the floor made her look up. A smile instantly lit her up her face when she saw the familiar face of Maura come into view. Letting her eyes roam over the Doctor's body, her smile grew. She had been fantasizing all day about tearing that dress off her body. She had even been on the verge of waltzing down to the morgue and making that fantasy come true. But then she remembered that she had no valid reason to go down there and she was left pouting and feeling bothered.

"Maura! What brings you up here?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw Frost and Korsak share a look, but she quickly brushed it off. The honey blonde was smiling at her however. Something that never failed to make her feel all giddy.

"Hello Jane. Detectives. I was actually hoping I could have a word with you?" The question was directed at Jane and the Detective agreed without second thought.

"Yeah, of course." Grabbing her jacket, she walked with Maura to the elevator.

Once inside, Jane turned to Maura. "So, what did you want to talk about?" The Doctor however, shook her head.

"Not here Jane. In my office." Jane raised an eyebrow, but let it pass, figuring it was something personal. They stayed silent, comfortable with just being together. They walked to Maura's office side by side and Jane couldn't help but wonder what was so important that they had to wait until they were _inside_ Maura's office.

As she stepped in, she frowned when Maura closed and locked the door and closed the blinds. Raising an eyebrow, she opened her mouth to ask what the Doctor was doing. But before she had a chance to utter a single syllable, Maura's mouth was on hers and she was being pushed onto the couch. The honey blonde's tongue eagerly explored Jane's mouth and the Detective groaned appreciatively.

Hands roamed over each other's bodies, tongues battled for dominance. They pulled back when the need for air became too much to bear. Resting their foreheads together, they were both breathing heavily.

"Wow. What was that for?" Maura grinned, tracing patterns on Jane's arm.

"I just missed you. I haven't been able to kiss you since Saturday." Jane let her arms encircle Maura's waist, leaning back to look at her properly.

"I missed you too. And you wearing these dresses aren't really making this easier." Maura raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Really? How can I make it easier for you then Detective?" Jane bit her lip, feeling a wave of arousal hitting her. God, she sounded sexy.

"Well, I might have a thing or two in mind." Glancing towards both doors, she turned back to Maura. "Are they both locked?" At the honey blonde's nod, Jane leaned in to claim her lips.

She didn't hesitate at all when slipping her hands under Maura's dress. Smirking into the kiss, she grabbed the honey blonde's panties, pulling them down torturously slow. It wasn't that easy what with the fact that Maura was straddling her and having one broken wrist, but she somehow managed to slip them down low enough. Moving her lips to Maura's neck, she moved her hands to the honey blonde's ass, lifting her up.

Carefully laying the other woman down on the couch, she completely discarded Maura's panties. Claiming her lips once more, she let her hand travel up Maura's dress, hiking it up and over her ass. Maura moaned, lifting her hips to tell Jane to stop teasing. The Detective grinned down at her.

"In a hurry?" Maura's eyes were dark with arousal, her breaths coming out in short gasps.

"Jane please, don't tease."

"Whatever you want babe." A soft moan left Maura's lips and she arched her back, her eyes fluttering closed. Jane moaned when she felt how wet Maura was and she didn't hesitate to slip in two fingers.

She set up a quick rhythm, knowing what Maura wanted and needed. The honey blonde bit her lip, clawing at Jane's back. Maura buried her head in Jane's neck, knowing she wouldn't be able to be completely quiet. Jane felt Maura getting close, felt her walls clench around her fingers. Adding a third finger, she moved faster, harder. Maura moaned, holding on tightly. It wasn't long before the honey blonde screamed out her release, thankfully being muffled by Jane's shoulder.

The two lay there for a moment, Maura coming down from her high and Jane holding her. A few minutes later, Maura lifted her head from its spot. She smiled up at Jane, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"You're amazing you know that?" Jane raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Because I just fucked you on your couch in your office at work?" Maura swallowed thickly, feeling another wave of arousal hit her. Jane was damn sexy when she talked like that. She found that out pretty quickly.

"That too. But also just because you're you." Jane smiled, nuzzling Maura's neck.

"Hmm. You do know that that sounded really cheesy right?" Maura laughed, relaxing back into the couch.

"Somehow I don't think you mind." Lifting her head, Jane grinned at the woman under her.

"Well, you are the genius in the room." She laughed, before a frown overtook her features. "But this couch is uncomfortable as hell. Next time we'll do it on your desk." Jane groaned as she got up, looking down at a completely disheveled Maura.

The Doctor got up as well, walking over to Jane. "Next time?" Jane's eyes shot up to Maura's eyes. There was no mistaking the arousal in them. And the fact that she looked like a woman on a mission. She swallowed, her mouth going dry.

Maura stepped closer, pressing her body flush against Jane's. She opened her mouth, but before she could say something a knock at the door interrupted them. Maura frowned, an annoyed sigh passing her lips. Walking over to the door, she was about to yank it open and give the person on the other side a piece of her mind, when Jane's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Your panties Maur. You should put them on." Maura's eyes widened and she hastened to put them on, a blush adorning her cheeks.

Jane leaned back against the desk, slowly starting to calm down. There was a part that was sad about the interruption, but there was also a part of her that was relieved. As okay she was with pleasing Maura at work, having Maura do the same to her made her… uncomfortable? She wasn't sure exactly why she minded. The fact that anyone could hear her or notice something about her afterwards made her cringe slightly. Especially since she had to work with those people.

She wasn't ashamed to be with Maura, on the contrary, but that didn't mean everyone had to know about them. Or had to hear them. Sighing, she watched as Maura exchanged a brief conversation with Suzie, closing the door after she had left. Jane noticed she didn't lock it. Locking eyes with each other, there seemed to be an understanding between the two and Maura opened the blinds.

"You know." Jane started towards Maura, keeping enough distance in case anyone was watching. "I told you about taking you out on another date. Are you free tomorrow night?" There was one good thing about being reduced to desk duty. She had all nights off.

Maura turned to Jane after opening all the blinds. She shook her head at the Detective, a determined look in her eyes.

"No Jane." Jane's jaw dropped open and she did quite an impression of a fish. Maura had to try her hardest not to laugh at it.

"Wh-What! But I thought… everything was going so well… and I just…." Jane trailed off, pointing at the couch across the room. This time Maura let a small smile grace her features.

"I didn't mean no as in 'I don't have time to go on a date with you'. I meant no as in 'I remembered our conversation going a little different.'" When Jane merely raised an eyebrow, Maura elaborated. "I told you I was going to take _you_ on a date didn't I?"

It took a minute for Jane to remember the conversation they had shared when they went on their first date. The picnic. Maura had looked so nervous when she had told her she wanted to take _her_ out on the next date. Jane had completely forgotten about it. She blushed, smiling softly.

"I remember. Fine, so… you're taking _me_ out?" Maura rolled her eyes, an annoyed look in her eyes. Jane wondered what she did wrong this time.

"That's not really a way to ask Jane. Besides, I'm the one who is supposed to ask you." The Detective huffed.

"I told you I'm not good at this!" Maura chuckled softly, reaching out to take Jane's hand.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" Jane narrowed her eyes at the Doctor.

"Now you're just using my words." Maura sighed dramatically. Jane got the point.

"All right all right! Yes, I am free tomorrow." The Doctor smiled happily.

"Great! I'll pick you up at seven. Wear something… nice." Jane looked down at the clothes she was wearing.

"This isn't nice?"

"These are your work clothes Jane."

"So! You wear dresses to work. I could say the same thing to you." Maura merely gave her a look, before going over to her desk to grab her things.

"Why can't it be easy to ask you to do something?" Jane grinned, cocking her head to one side.

"Because we Rizzoli's are all stubborn?" Maura blushed, remembering the words from when she had said them.

"Well, it's true. Just wear some nice jeans and a clean shirt Jane. You don't have to wear a dress." The Detective took a breath.

"Well, I guess I can live with that. But this shirt is clean!" Maura snickered as she walked past.

"There's a coffee stain just above your breast babe. It's been there all day judging from the look of it." Jane's eyes widened and she started pulling at her shirt, trying to find the offended spot.

"Motherfucker! I liked this shirt." Maura laughed, holding the door open for a sulking Jane.

"I might be able to get it out. Bring it to work with you tomorrow." Jane watched as the Doctor closed and locked the door before walking with her to the elevator.

"You just want to see me naked." Maura laughed shoving Jane playfully.

"I already have. Not that much to see there." Jane mocked a gasp, holding her hand over her heart.

"That hurt Maur. That really hurt." Maura rolled her eyes, turning to look at Jane.

"You're such a baby." Laughter rang through the morgue, turning several heads.


	12. Chapter 12

"You know. I do believe you made a joke yesterday." Maura and Jane were seated across from each other at an Italian restaurant – Maura's choice – sipping some fancy wine. Jane had to admit it tasted good though. Maura raised her eyebrows over her glass, silently asking Jane what she was talking about.

"The whole naked thing. You made a joke. I was quite proud." Maura's laugh reverberated around them. Jane's heart warmed at the sound. It was something she was never going to get tired off.

"You were proud I made a joke?" Jane nodded, a warm smile on her face.

"Oh yeah. I mean, you can't really catch on when I'm sarcastic or when I'm using idioms, but at least we're getting somewhere in the joke department." Maura rolled her eyes, her smile betraying her amusement.

"Way to make a woman feel special Jane." The Detective leaned forward, leaning her chin on her right palm.

"Oh I have very different methods of making you feel special Maur. You might see some of them tonight." Maura chuckled at the look in Jane's eyes.

"I can't wait."

Jane sat back in her chair, looking up when the waitress set their food down in front of them. Smiling politely, she waited until the girl left.

"Looks good." She could feel her mouth water, grabbing her utensils in excitement. Maura smiled at the sight before her.

"I'm glad you're so excited." There was a hint of teasing there, which Jane seemed to be oblivious at, her eyes fixed on the plate in front of her.

"I'm not really one to go out to a fancy restaurant. Not really my thing." She grabbed a forkful and was about to take a bite when the realization of what she had just said hit her.

Her eyes snapped up into hazel ones and she swallowed thickly. "When I'm alone." Seeing the unconvinced look in Maura's eyes, she lowered the fork back down to her plate. "I meant to say that uhh…" _Great. Way to score points there Rizzoli. Telling her that this isn't your 'thing'. What does that even mean? God, she's going to be angry._

Jane waited for the inevitable, mentally bracing herself for the impact. But it never came.

"Just eat your food Jane." There wasn't anger or resentment in her tone. And her eyes didn't portray any of these feelings as well. Jane smiled vaguely, having an inkling feeling that this would come back to bite her in the ass later on.

Bringing the fork back to her mouth she took a bite, moaning in pleasure. She missed the way Maura's eyes darkened and how she licked her lips, her eyes fixed on Jane's face. The Detective had her eyes closed, enjoying the feast going on in her mouth. She was oblivious to what she was doing to Maura.

"Next time just tell me to _not_ put my foot in my mouth. That can save us a lot of embarrassing moments." Jane laughed at her own joke, opening her eyes to look at the woman across from her.

Maura was frowning. Jane's words had snapped her out of her haze, but what she said was lost on the Doctor. "Put your foot in your mouth? You're very flexible Jane, but it seems highly improbable that you could put your foot in your mouth. You might just be able to lay them in your neck." Jane's face went from incredulous to amused very quickly and her laughter caused several couples to look at them. Some in amusement, others in anger.

Maura's eyes darted around, shooting quick apologetic smiles their way. "Jane! Stop it!" The Detective calmed down, waving Maura off.

"Oh Maura." She wiped at her eyes, taking a deep breath in the process. "You just topped yesterday's joke!" Maura frowned, crossing her arms.

"I wasn't joking Jane." The other woman blinked a few times, waiting for the other woman to tell her she was kidding. But she never did. She _was_ serious.

"Wh-What?" Even though Jane _knew_ that Maura wasn't joking, a part of her was still waiting for her to suddenly burst out in laughter. But it stayed awfully quiet.

"I don't appreciate you laughing at me Jane." There it was. The anger. But it came accompanied by sadness. The same exact thing Jane had sworn she was going to get rid of forever.

"I-I'm sorry Maur. I just… really thought you were joking. I mean… it's a figure of speech. Foot in mouth? You've never heard of that?" Maura glanced away for a moment, trying to hide the tears from Jane.

But the other woman wasn't a Detective because of her good looks. She noticed immediately.

"Hey, you're not… are you crying?" The sight broke Jane's heart.

"I-I just… have a foreign body on my cornea." Maura reached to wipe at her eye, sniffling.

"Hey, come on. Maura please." Jane dropped her head. _Great. Why is this suddenly so hard?_

"It's fine Jane. I'm used to it. Let's just finish dinner please." The Detective raised her head to watch Maura pick up her own fork and take a delicate bite.

Both had lost their appetites. Jane sighed softly, picking up her own fork. An awkward silence enveloped them as they quietly finished their meal. By the time their dessert arrived, Jane had had enough. She was stupid and Maura had to know that she was sorry.

Setting her spoon down, she cleared her throat, scratching at her cast. Maura looked at her, an even look in her eyes. Jane remembered that look all too well.

"Maura. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said. I just…" The Detective shuffled in her seat, trying to form a coherent sentence. "What I meant earlier was that I never come here, because I never had anyone to join me. And I'm not a person to come to a place like this alone. I already stand out enough as it is. And the whole foot in mouth thing is just an idiom. I know you're not good at understanding it, and I'm sorry for laughing at you. I really didn't mean to. Everything was just… I'm just really nervous and I don't want to screw this up. Although I already did and I understand if you're angry at me. Let me just try and make up… please?"

Jane held her breath waiting for Maura to reply. The honey blonde took her time, cocking her head to one side as she thought about Jane's apology. A few minutes later, she nodded, sighing softly.

"I'm not angry with you Jane. I'm… disappointed maybe. I never thought you would be like all the others. But maybe I was too naïve. Maybe I really wanted to believe you weren't like them, that I closed my eyes for it." Jane's eyes widened as she realized what Maura was saying.

"But that's exactly what I'm trying to say! I'm _not_ like the others." She reached out her right hand, taking Maura's left. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when the other woman didn't pull away. "All these things. Everything about you. From your quirkiness to the fact that you don't understand idioms to spouting of facts at random… all of it… it makes you who you are. It makes you the person that I wanted to get to know better. If you weren't like that, we wouldn't have been here. All the other people that you told me about think you're weird, that everything you do is crazy. But… I don't. Okay, maybe I do find it a little weird, but everyone is weird. You've met my mother, she is the definition of weird." Jane smiled, watching the corners up Maura's lips go up.

"You know I'm not good with words and I really hope that you're understanding what I'm trying to say. To put it bluntly. I like you the way you are. From the hair on your head to the red nail polish on your toes. And I wouldn't want to change a single thing about you." This time when Jane saw tears appear in Maura's eyes, she hoped that it wasn't because she just said everything completely wrong.

"Thank you. No one has ever said something so sweet to me before." Jane smirked at the honey blonde, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Well, get used to it. Because I'm just getting started." They shared a short laugh and Jane felt the tension float away, hopefully finding a different couple to pester.

"How about we finish dessert and we'll go back to my place?" Jane nodded at Maura's proposal, retreating her hand to finish her ice cream. She instantly missed the contact, pouting at the dish in front of her. The damn thing was cutting into her time of touching Maura.

Maura smiled, reaching over to lay her hand atop of Jane's left one. The Detective tried to hide her smile behind a bite of ice cream, but Maura knew better. She just hoped that their relationship would make Jane ask for her help now and then. She knew how stubborn the Detective could be.

* * *

They arrived home thirty minutes later, both not feeling the need to start a conversation on the ride home. It was completely different than when they were at the restaurant. Maura let them both in, immediately heading over to the fridge to grab some strawberries for Bass.

Jane watched with a smile on her face as Maura sat down and offered the treat to her pet, murmuring soft words to the creature. She kept her eyes fixed on the huge rock and watched as his head slowly poked out of his shell, carefully taking the offered strawberry from his owner. Maura smiled and petted him, before going back to the fridge to grab something for the both of them to drink.

Jane made her way over to the counter, sitting down as she kept her eyes on Bass. Watching the tortoise slowly eat his dinner. She only looked up when a beer was placed in front of her. Smiling up at Maura in thanks, she took a generous sip.

"Jane?" The Detective hummed, setting her beer down. Turning her attention to Maura next to her, she waited for her to continue.

"Can I ask you something?" Normally Jane would've joked about it, telling her she just did, but the seriousness in Maura's voice made her swallow her comment.

"Of course." Maura's eyes locked onto her own.

"How would you feel if I asked Angela to move into the guesthouse?" Jane stared at the other woman. She had no idea what to say to that. Other than 'hell no'.

"Uhm Maur. The moment that woman moves in here you've lost your privacy. Please don't do it." The honey blonde sighed.

"I can make proper rules about that Jane. She has everything she needs in the guesthouse so she doesn't have a reason to come in here." Jane snorted, taking another sip of her beer.

"You don't know my mother. She doesn't _need_ a reason to come over. She just does and she doesn't knock either. Besides, what if we… y'know. Want some time alone? I don't want my mother walking in on us."

"Is that the reason? You don't want Angela to know about us?" Jane's head snapped over to Maura so quickly she almost got whiplash.

"I didn't say that."

"Not precisely no."

It got quiet for a moment, the awkwardness of earlier returning. Jane mentally cursed Maura for bringing this up. Why the hell would she want to ask a completely strange woman to come and live in her guesthouse? And then to say that it was because she didn't want to tell her mother about them. What was there to tell? They weren't together. Were they? Jane groaned out loud. Why did she have to make all of this so complicated?

"I'm sorry Jane. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, you shouldn't have."

"But-"

"Maura please!" Maura swallowed thickly, turning away from Jane. The Detective sighed, guilt washing over her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. Can we just drop this? This whole night has been weird. I just want to spend the rest of this night on the couch with my girlfriend and a beer and watch a movie or something." They both froze as Jane finished her sentence.

"Girlfriend?" Setting her beer back down, Jane let her eyes fall on the woman beside her. Maura was smiling, her eyes sparkling. Jane suddenly got uncomfortable.

"Well, if you want. I…" She didn't even know what she wanted to say. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if Maura said no. She'd been saying and doing all the wrong things tonight.

"I would love to Jane." The Detective swallowed thickly, a smile making its way to her lips.

And when Maura's lips met her own, she completely forgot what they had been arguing about moments before. Maura pulled back, biting her lip as she smiled down at Jane.

"How about that movie?" Jane let herself be guided to the couch, settling in as Maura picked a movie. Returning to the couch moments later, the honey blonde snuggled into Jane, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

Jane sighed internally. She couldn't concentrate on the movie, her mind kept going over their previous conversation. Was Maura right? Did she not want Angela to know about them? Or anyone for that matter? And was that really the reason why she didn't want her mother to move into Maura's guesthouse? No, it surely wasn't. She couldn't just ask that of her girlfriend. It would be weird wouldn't it?

Jane shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking of this right now. Maura had dropped it, per her request. And even though she knew that the honey blonde would bring it up the next time Jane started complaining about her mother, she decided to try and stop thinking about it. After all, their relationship had been taken to the next step.


End file.
